What is palliative care?

Pain control: Palliative care is care that addresses pain and suffering. It is comfort care. It does not seek to cure disease.

Whole Person Care: Palliative care (pc) is care of the whole person. The approach is to address physical, psych, social and spiritual needs of patients with chronic illnesses at any stage of the illness. The team usually consists of a physician, nurse, social worker and chaplain although this can vary depending on location & setting. Pc can be received even when someone is still receiving curative treatments.

Treating symptoms: Many disease are not curable and there comes a time when trying to cure the disease is more harmful to the patient. Palliative care is switching treatment from cure to comfort, with the understanding that quality of life is more important than focusing on curing the disease.