The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization defines palliative care as care that involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly personalized to the patient’s needs and desires. Support is provided to the patient’s loved one as well. At the center of hospice care is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so.

Who Needs Palliative Care?

As a family caregiver, it is important to plan in advance for a variety of situations. Such situations may include: changes in your friend or family member’s medical condition; psychological or spiritual issues such as coping with illness and grief; or decisions on whether to pursue a certain therapy or treatment.

Palliative care extends the principles of hospice care to a broader population that could benefit from receiving this type of care earlier in their illness or disease process. No specific therapy is excluded from consideration. An individual’s needs must be continually assessed and treatment options should be explored and evaluated in the context of the individual’s values and symptoms. If an illness progresses, palliative care would transition into hospice care.