Do I need palliative care, and is it for me?

Palliative care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a life-limiting illness.

It is about support, comfort and improving the quality of life for both the care recipient and their loved ones.

Palliative care can help anyone with a serious or life-limiting illness, irrespective of their age or illness. It can also benefit:

• frail individuals,
• people with multiple chronic health conditions, and
• individuals who do not have a life-threatening condition, but need symptom relief and support.

You can receive palliative care anytime and at any stage of a serious illness. It can be introduced at the moment of diagnosis, or at any point after. You do not have to be at the end-of-life or in hospice to receive it.

Palliative care does not mean giving up. It can be given alongside curative treatments for as long as required and is focused on making it easier for the recipient.