Palliative care is patient centric medical care that aims to provide relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. It also can help the patient to cope with side effects from medical treatments.

In the event an illness cannot be cured, palliative care makes the patient as comfortable as possible by helping the patient manage pain and other distressing symptoms. It also involves psychological, social and spiritual support for the patient and the patient’s family or care givers.

Palliative care can start as early as a person’s diagnosis or later in their illness, and it can be done parallel to other types of treatment for the disease. This form of care includes, but is not limited to, advance care planning, end-of-life care, hospice care, and bereavement support.

There are four stages of palliative care
Stage 1: Stable – Developing and Implementing the Care Plan.
Stage 2: Unstable – Adjusting the Care Plan & Preparing Emotionally.
Stage 3: Deteriorating – Shifting to End-of-Life-Care
Stage 4: Terminal – Symptom Management, Emotional & Spiritual Care.