Palliative and End-Of-Life Care Foundations

Palliative care is an approach to care for an adult living with a progressive, life-limiting illness. Its purpose is to reduce suffering and support the person’s goals while addressing physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and cultural needs. It may begin soon after diagnosis and continue alongside treatments intended to slow disease or relieve complications. It is not synonymous with “giving up,” and it is not reserved for the final hours of life. End-of-life care refers to care when death is approaching, often during the last months, weeks, or days of life. The exact timeline is difficult to predict. A person may move between relative stability and acute decline, so the nurse reassesses the trajectory rather than relying on a calendar estimate. The central clinical question changes as illness advances: What outcome matters most to this person now? For one patient, it may be alertness for a family visit. For another, it may be relief from air hunger even if medication causes drowsiness. A treatment that is reasonable when prolonging life is the priority may become burdensome when comfort and time at...