Kinds of care

What is Palliative care?

Palliative care is specialist care focused on relieving symptoms and stress from a serious illness, and it can be given at any stage, alongside treatment.

It is not the same as hospice and does not require a prognosis. A palliative team can help with pain, sleep, appetite, distress and decision-making from diagnosis onwards.

It is under-used in dementia, partly because dementia is not always recognised as a terminal illness.

Why it matters

Families often learn it exists too late, when it could have helped for years.

Sources

Where to check this, and where to read more. All external and all authoritative.

Related terms

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