Palliative care is a medical specialty comprising of a multidisciplinary team who offer medical care to people with chronic and advanced illness. Palliative care relieves suffering and improves quality of life for people of any age, and at any stage of a serious illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic or life threatening. 

1.    Provides relief from pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.
2.    Assists you in making difficult medical decisions.
3.    Coordinates care with your other doctors and helps you navigate the often-complex health care system.
4.    Guides you in planning for living well, based on your needs, concerns and goals for care.
5.    Provides you and your loved ones emotional and spiritual support and guidance.

A. Palliative care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team that includes specialist doctors, nurses, social worker, counselor, volunteers and others

Palliative Care is whole-person care that relieves symptoms of a disease or disorder whether or not it can be cured. You can receive palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, whether that illness is potentially curable, chronic or life threatening. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for people who are likely to have very short life expectancy. In other words, hospice care is always palliative, but not all-palliative care is hospice care.

Your doctors focus on your general health or treating your disease or condition. Palliative care doctors focus on preventing and alleviating suffering and improving your quality of life, and help you and your loved one’s cope with the stress and burden of your illness.

Yes, of course. But palliative doctors have special training and expertise in pain management and symptom control, and specialize in helping patients and their families cope with the many burdens of a serious illness, from the side effects of a medical treatment, to caregiver stress, to fears about the future. Palliative doctors can assist you with difficult medical decisions, helping you weigh the pros and cons of various treatments.

Absolutely. Your palliative doctor coordinates care with your other doctors and helps you navigate the often-complex health care system.

Patients are eligible for hospice care if they have very short time to live (as determined by the treating doctor). Unfortunately, most people don’t receive hospice care until the final days of life, possibly missing out on weeks of helpful care and quality time.

Not at all. The goal of palliative care is to make you comfortable and help you achieve the best possible quality of life. You can have palliative care while you are undergoing treatments that may cure or reverse the effects of your illness. In fact, palliative care can help you cope with aggressive treatments by getting your pain and symptoms under control to help you fight the disease. 

Palliative care can be provided at a hospital, home, an assisted living facility or at hospice. There are a number of ways to find a doctor who specializes in palliative medicine, including asking your doctor to refer you to a palliative doctor. At Kasturba Hospital Manipal, you can contact the Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care on the Ground Floor of the Shirdi Saibaba Cancer Centre. 

Addiction to medication prescribed for pain relief is a common fear, but it is seldom seen. Palliative doctors are experts in preventing problems and side effects of strong pain medications. They also can help patients with addictions get pain relief.

Appropriately prescribed medicine will not hasten death. Your palliative doctor has the expertise to devise a medication plan that makes you comfortable, and safe.

Palliative doctors are concerned about you as a whole person – not just the part of you that is sick. We understand that people with serious illnesses can be frightened and unsure of themselves when making medical decisions. We also understand that there is not always one right or wrong answer, and that your needs and your wishes may change over time. Palliative doctors consider all of this when they help you develop your treatment plan.