Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of people with serious or life-altering illnesses. Each person’s care varies but can involve physical, psychological, and educational elements.

Palliative care is sometimes called supportive care. There can be some confusion about what palliative care is, what it involves, who should receive it, and why.

Palliative care helps improve overall wellness, including physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.

Palliative care focuses on improving the overall quality of life of people with serious illnesses. It addresses both the symptoms and the stress of living with a chronic illness. It may also involve support for loved ones or caregivers.

Since it’s based on individual needs, palliative care can differ from one person to the next. A care plan might involve one or more of the following goals:

  • alleviating symptoms, including side effects of treatment
  • improving understanding of illness and its progression
  • identifying and addressing practical and spiritual needs
  • helping to cope with feelings and changes related to illness
  • assisting in understanding treatment options, making treatment decisions, and coordinating care
  • identifying and accessing additional resources to provide support

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life in people experiencing serious or life-limiting illnesses and to support their families. Some of the benefits can include:

  • symptom management support
  • improved quality of life
  • reduced risk of depression
  • longer survival
  • support in making decisions
  • support for family members and caregivers
  • improved caregiver satisfaction

The main difference between palliative and hospice care is when each type of care is available.

For people with a serious and potentially life threatening condition, palliative care is appropriate at any time, regardless of the stage of the illness. It doesn’t depend on your outlook or life expectancy.

You can also access treatment aimed at curing your condition while taking advantage of palliative care treatments designed to improve your quality of life and level of comfort.

In contrast, hospice care is only available at the end of life, when an illness is no longer responding to treatment. At this time, the person may decide to stop treatment and begin hospice care, also known as end-of-life care.

Like palliative care, hospice focuses on a person’s overall comfort, including their emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In fact, hospice is a form of palliative care. However, receiving palliative care doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in hospice.

To qualify for hospice care, a doctor has to estimate that your life expectancy is 6 months or less. This can be incredibly difficult to determine. You may also qualify for hospice care and go on to live longer than 6 months. You may continue to receive hospice care as long as your doctor believes that you have 6 months or less to live.

Hospice care doesn’t always signal the end of life. It’s also possible to receive hospice care and then resume curative or life-prolonging treatments.

Summary

  • Palliative care is available at any time, regardless of the stage of the illness or life expectancy.
  • Hospice care is only available at the end of life.

Read more: “What’s the Difference Between Palliative Care and Hospice?”

Palliative care can be an option for many conditions. Some of the most common conditions where palliative care can be especially helpful are:

  • cancer
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • dementia
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Palliative care for cancer

Cancer is one of the most common illnesses associated with palliative care, as both symptoms and treatment can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

Palliative cancer care varies depending on:

  • the type of cancer
  • symptoms
  • treatment
  • age
  • outlook

Someone with a recent cancer diagnosis might receive palliative care to manage the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation, or to help them recover after surgery. Palliative cancer care may sometimes include chemo or radiation, not to eliminate the cancer, but to reduce symptoms.

Palliative care for cancer also often includes treatments for depression or anxiety and tools to help family members plan for the future.

Palliative care for cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases can affect a person’s quality of life and ability to care for themselves. Cardiovascular diseases include:

Palliative care for cardiovascular disease may help relieve symptoms, provide mental health support, and help people with these diseases and their families make decisions. It may also include help with end-of-life planning, if necessary.

In a 2019 review, researchers studied trends in places of death for people with cardiovascular diseases in the United States. The review notes that early palliative care may help increase the likelihood that people with these diseases will experience their desired end-of-life outcomes.

Palliative care for dementia

Dementia is associated with deteriorating brain function. It significantly affects a person’s:

  • cognition
  • memory
  • language
  • judgment
  • behavior

Palliative care might include treatment for anxiety caused by dementia. As the illness progresses, it might involve helping family members make difficult decisions about feeding or caring for their loved one. It can also involve support for family caregivers.

Palliative care for COPD

Palliative care can help people manage COPD, a respiratory illness that causes coughing and shortness of breath.

For this condition, palliative care might include treatments for discomfort, anxiety, or insomnia associated with difficulty breathing. You might receive education on lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, that can improve your activity level and slow the progress of your illness.

A multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals with specialized training provides palliative care. Your palliative care team could include any of the following:

Your palliative care team will work to ensure your holistic (all-around) well-being over the course of your illness.

If you have a serious or life threatening illness, you can ask about palliative care at any time.

There’s a common misconception that you have to wait until your illness is in a later stage or in its final stages to get palliative care. However, palliative care may be most effective when started early. For example, research suggests that starting palliative care early can improve quality of life and prolong survival in people with cancer.

Your loved ones may also benefit if you receive palliative care, which can help them access resources and support to cope with your illness.

It depends on where you live. Palliative care has become more accessible in recent years, but it’s still not available everywhere.

Depending on where you live, you might have more than one option as to where you can receive palliative care. Some options may include:

  • a hospital
  • a nursing home
  • an assisted living facility
  • an outpatient clinic
  • your home

Talk with your doctor to find out more about the palliative care options that are available to you and where you can receive care in your area.

You can also visit the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s Provider Directory to search for a provider near you.

The first step in receiving palliative care is to ask a doctor or healthcare professional about it. The doctor who treats your illness should refer you to a palliative care provider.

You can prepare for your palliative care consultation by making a list of your symptoms and how they affect your everyday activities. You’ll also want to bring a list of medications you take and any relevant medical history.

It’s a good idea to ask a friend or family member to accompany you to your appointment.

After the consultation, you’ll develop a plan with your palliative care team. The plan will be based on your symptoms and any treatments you’re currently undergoing, as well as how your illness is affecting your mental health, everyday activities, and family members.

You and your team will carry out the plan in coordination with your other treatments. It should evolve over time as your needs change. If it becomes needed, your plan can also involve advanced care and end-of-life planning.

It’s important to talk with your palliative care provider to understand what you may be required to pay for.

Both Medicare and Medicaid may cover some palliative services. However, since neither Medicare nor Medicaid use the term “palliative,” the treatment you’re receiving has to be covered by your standard benefits.

Both Medicare and Medicaid cover all hospice-related charges, but to qualify for hospice, a doctor must determine that you have 6 months or less to live.

If you have private insurance, you might have some coverage for palliative services. A long-term care policy is another option to cover palliative services. Check with a representative from your insurer to confirm coverage.

Palliative care is a multidisciplinary treatment that aims to improve the quality of life and overall well-being of people with chronic, life-altering illnesses. It may also involve support for loved ones or caregivers.

If you or someone in your family has a serious illness, palliative care may be an option you want to consider. Talk with a doctor to learn more about palliative care and how to get this type of care.