Palliative Care

Overview

This is a type of care you may get if you have a serious illness. It helps ease or prevent many of the symptoms and side effects caused by your disease and your treatment. It isn't meant to cure your disease, but it improves the quality of your life. And it helps you cope.

Is it like hospice?

You may ask if palliative is the same as hospice care. The answer is "no." Hospice care is for people who have reached the end of life. Just because you get palliative care doesn't necessarily mean you are dying. You can get palliative care at any time during an illness, even if you're going to get better. It just lets you live more comfortably.

How does it help?

Your palliative care is tailored to your needs. It helps you deal with physical problems like pain, fatigue, loss of appetite and insomnia. It also helps you cope with the emotional toll of illness. It can help you and your loved ones deal with depression, anxiety, fear and other issues.

Other benefits

If you're religious, one palliative goal may be to explore your spiritual beliefs. If you have financial or legal worries, palliative care specialists can help you navigate things like advance directives and other practical tools. To learn more about palliative care, talk to your doctor.

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.