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Palliative care is specialized care for people living with a serious illness, focused on relieving the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Palliative care is delivered by a team of professionals and should be available in all settings, especially acute care hospitals, clinical offices, post-acute and long-term care facilities, and patients’ homes.  Regardless of setting, palliative care entails the following, consistent with the National Clinical Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care:

• Interdisciplinary team care delivered by certified specialists, including medicine, nursing, social work, and chaplaincy 
• Comprehensive symptom and functional assessment
• Proactive pain and symptom management
• Effective communication that clarifies what to expect and supports decision-making that aligns with patient goals and values
• Relief of psychological, emotional, and spiritual suffering
• Ongoing family caregiver assessment and support
• Coordination among all clinicians involved in the patients’ care

Palliative care services can vary according to setting, based as factors such as which patient populations are primarily served and how the palliative care team interacts with the patient and with other clinicians. In addition, current payment models impact populations served and delivery models.

6/15/2020