Palliative care is an approach to care that supports the clinical, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals and their families coping with a life-limiting illness. Palliative care and a palliative approach to care focuses on comfort and support to the person and family, assists with making plans and decisions for the journey ahead, and optimizes quality of life. Sharing health care wishes and goals with loved ones, doctors and other health care providers is important.
Use a palliative approach for any advancing, life-limiting illness, cancer or non-cancer
Engage in advance care planning, serious illness and goals of care conversations
Optimize quality of life concurrent with desired treatment and intervention
Provide early and regular symptom assessment and management to ease symptom burden
Provide individual and family education
Engage with and optimize community supports
The goals for end of life care continue to be guided by the person’s known wishes and priorities. Care remains active and focuses on easing pain and other discomfort, as well as to support living well to the end of life. It is important that all end of life care options are discussed and the individual’s choices are respected. This may include questions and planning related to medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Providing emotional and spiritual support for the person, family and friends as death draws nearer is very important.
Estimated weeks to months of life
Active medical care to relieve symptoms
Ongoing holistic supports to live well
Hospice care can be considered
Palliative care can be considered
Palliative respite can be offered to individuals for symptom management or to provide relief for caregivers
Last days and hours care are those precious moments in which the person is still alive and when time is very short. The goals for care are to provide pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual care, and to continue to honour the expressed wishes of the person throughout the dying process, as well as with after-death care. This care includes providing support to family and loved ones.
Active pain and symptom management
Psychosocial, emotional and spiritual supports*
Bereavement and grief supports*
*Not restricted to last days/hours
