What it means
Comfort-focused care for a person with a serious illness, aimed at quality of life for the client and family. It treats pain, breathing trouble, nausea, anxiety and other problems, and it supports emotional, social and spiritual needs. Unlike hospiceHOS-pisCare for people expected to live about six months or less, focused on comfort and quality of life rather than cure.Full entry , palliative care can start at diagnosis and be given together with treatment meant to cure.
For the nurse
Assess symptoms often and treat them promptly. Ask what matters most to the client, include the family, and help the client name their wishes and plan ahead for care.
At a glance
| Spanish | cuidados paliativos |
|---|---|
| Also written | palliation, palliative-care |
Easy to confuse with
hospice
Care for people expected to live about six months or less, focused on comfort and quality of life rather than cure.
Related terms
analgesic
A drug that relieves pain.
end-of-life care
The care given to a person and their family in the last days, weeks or months of life.
chronic illness
A long-lasting health condition, usually of three months or more, that can be managed but often not cured.
hospice
Care for people expected to live about six months or less, focused on comfort and quality of life rather than cure.