Five Truths About Palliative Care

Learn the truth about common misunderstandings about palliative care.

Palliative care is specialized area of medicine that helps improve the quality of life of people living with serious illness. Palliative care continues to be misunderstood by many people.

The following are some common myths and truths about palliative care.

Myth

Palliative care is only for people who are at the very end of their lives.

Truth

Palliative care offers physical, psychological, social and spiritual support to help patients and their families at any time during their serious illness. Many people benefit from receiving palliative care for years before the end of their life.

Myth

Palliative care is only provided in a hospital.

Truth

People can access palliative care in different ways, depending on where they live. Home-care palliative care programs will support patients and their families in their own homes. People can also receive palliative care in outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, palliative care units, hospices or hospitals.

Myth

The main purpose of palliative care is pain relief.

Truth

Helping patients with pain and symptom management is a part of what palliative care offers. Palliative care can also support patients and caregivers in many other important ways. We help support patients who are suffering from anxiety, depression, spiritual distress or any other stress of living with a serious illness.

Myth

Disease treatment will stop when palliative care starts.

Truth

Palliative care can begin soon after the diagnosis of a serious, life-limiting illness—even if you are actively treating your disease and expect to live for several years. In fact, patients who start palliative care in early stages of illness often report a higher quality of life than those who wait.