When people hear the words “palliative care”, many feel a quiet dread — assuming it means treatment has stopped, or that “nothing more can be done”. This is one of the most common, and most unfortunate, misunderstandings in medicine.
What palliative care is
The World Health Organization describes palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients facing life-threatening illness, and of their families, through the prevention and relief of suffering — including pain and other physical symptoms, as well as psychological, social, and spiritual distress.
The key words are “quality of life”. A palliative care team works to keep patients as comfortable as possible, so they can live in the way that matters most to them — whatever stage their illness has reached.
What palliative care is not
- It is not giving up. Palliative care can be provided alongside disease-directed treatment such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery. Research has shown that patients who receive palliative care early have better quality of life — and in some groups, longer survival.
- It is not only for the last days of life. End-of-life care is only one part of palliative care, which can begin from the day of diagnosis.
- It is not only for cancer. People living with heart failure, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, end-stage liver disease, progressive neurological conditions, and frailty in older age all benefit from palliative care.
- It neither hastens nor postpones death. The goal is to make the time a person has as comfortable and meaningful as possible, in keeping with the natural course of their illness and their own wishes.
Who provides the care
Palliative care is the work of an interdisciplinary team — physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, and spiritual care providers — with the patient and family at the centre. A person’s suffering always has physical, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions woven together, and good care attends to them all.
Palliative care is not the end of hope. It is hope, redirected toward what matters most to each person.
If you or someone you love is facing a life-threatening illness and would like to know more about palliative care, please speak with your attending physician or contact the Prakongruk Palliative Care Unit — we are here to listen, and to walk beside you.