Legal Definitions - palliative care

Palliative care is a type of medical care that focuses on improving the quality of life for people who have serious illnesses. The goal of palliative care is to relieve symptoms and provide emotional and social support, rather than trying to cure the illness.

Palliative care can be given alongside other treatments that aim to cure the illness, or it can be given on its own. It is often used for people who have a terminal illness, such as cancer or Parkinson's disease, but it can also be used for people who have other serious illnesses.

Examples of palliative care include:

• Giving pain medication to someone with cancer to help them feel more comfortable
• Providing counseling to someone with a serious illness to help them cope with their emotions
• Offering physical therapy to someone with a chronic illness to help them maintain their mobility

These examples illustrate how palliative care can help people with serious illnesses feel better and improve their quality of life, even if their illness cannot be cured.