Palliative Care
Basics
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
Research
Resources
For You
Summary
Palliative care is treatment of the discomfort, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. It provides relief from distressing symptoms including
- Pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Problems with sleep
It can also help you deal with the side effects of the medical treatments you're receiving.
Hospice care, care at the end of life, always includes palliative care. But you may receive palliative care at any stage of an illness. The goal is to make you comfortable and improve your quality of life.
NIH: National Institute of Nursing Research
- Palliative Care (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
- Palliative Care Questions and Answers (Hospice Care Comparison) (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)
-
Palliative Care: The Relief You Need When You Have a Serious Illness
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
- PDF
Also in Spanish
- Palliative or Comfort Care (Administration for Community Living) - PDF
Related Issues
- How to Get It -- Step 2: Meet the Palliative Care Team (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
- Offering Spiritual Support for Family or Friends (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) - PDF
Specifics
- Morphine: Myths and Reality (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
-
Pain Control: Support for People with Cancer
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
-
Palliative Care in Cancer
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Shortness-of-Breath (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
- Side Effects (Management) (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
Health Check Tools
- Is Palliative Care Right for You? (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Videos and Tutorials
-
Pediatric Palliative Care: A Personal Story
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
-
Videos, Podcasts and Livechats
(Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Palliative Care
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
- Glossary (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Find an Expert
- Find a Hospice or Palliative Care Provider (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
-
National Institute of Nursing Research
- Provider Directory (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Children
-
Frequently Asked Questions (Palliative Care: Conversations Matter)
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
- Palliative Care (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
-
Palliative Care for Children: Support for the Whole Family When Your Child Is Living with a Serious Illness
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
- PDF
Also in Spanish
- What is Pediatric Palliative Care? (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Patient Handouts
-
Finding Family Support Resource Card
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
- PDF
- Palliative care - fear and anxiety (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Palliative care - fluid, food, and digestion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Palliative care - managing pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Palliative care - shortness of breath (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Palliative care - what the final days are like (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
-
Pediatric Palliative Care at a Glance
(National Institute of Nursing Research)
- PDF
Also in Spanish
- What is palliative care? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish