What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach for people with both acute and chronic serious illness. It focuses on treating the symptoms of the disease, but not curing the disease itself.
When people experience serious illness, they may also encounter physical, psychological, social or spiritual issues because of their disease or treatment. Palliative care helps lessen pain, control symptoms and relieve stress for both the patient and family.
Ultimately, the goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life, assist with medical decisions and help patients and families navigate the healthcare system.