What is Palliative Care in Health and Social Care?

Palliative care supports people with serious, often life-limiting illnesses. It aims to make life better for the person by focusing on comfort, dignity, and support rather than on curing the illness.

This type of care sits at the heart of health and social care services and covers much more than just physical treatment.

What are the Principles of Palliative Care?

Palliative care follows a set of strong principles focused on overall wellbeing, respect, and compassion. Its core purpose is to help people live as comfortably as possible for as long as possible, by relieving symptoms and providing support. This includes attention to physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.

Some principles include:

• Respecting the wishes of the individual
• Managing pain and other symptoms
• Providing clear and honest information
• Supporting families and carers
• Encouraging open discussions about planning care and decision-making

Palliative care places the person at the centre of decisions, valuing their choices and preferences.

Who Needs Palliative Care?

Many people associate palliative care with cancer, but it helps those with a wide range of illnesses. These illnesses may not always have a cure and often affect several body systems. Some common conditions include:

• Motor neurone disease
• Advanced heart failure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Kidney failure
• Dementia
• Stroke aftermath

People can receive palliative care at any stage of their illness, not just at the end of life. It can run alongside treatments intended to prolong life. The focus is on comfort, symptom control, and improving quality of life for both the person and their loved ones.

The Goals of Palliative Care

The main aim is to provide relief from pain and distressing symptoms. But palliative care goes beyond medication. It supports people in coping with worry, loss of independence, and practical difficulties, helping them to retain control over their lives.

Goals often include:

• Achieving the best possible comfort for the person
• Supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health
• Helping families and friends to cope and feel involved
• Enabling people to spend time in places that matter most to them—often at home
• Giving support with planning, such as advance care plans or preferred place of care

All these actions work together to give people the best possible experience in what can be a very difficult time.

Where Can People Receive Palliative Care?

Palliative care is not limited to one location. Services are flexible and adapt to suit the needs of the person.

Possible settings include:

• The person’s own home, with visits from health and care professionals
• Care homes, both nursing and residential
• Hospices, which offer specialist and symptom-managed care in a home-like setting
• Hospitals, where specialist palliative care teams may become involved

Many people prefer to receive palliative care at home or in a hospice for a warm and familiar environment. Care teams work closely to move between settings if needed, aiming for a seamless approach.

The Team Involved in Palliative Care

Palliative care needs teamwork. The team may include a mix of professionals working together to provide joined-up support.

• Doctors and consultants, such as palliative medicine specialists
• Nurses with training in symptom management
• Health and social care assistants
• Social workers
• Occupational therapists and physiotherapists helping with mobility
• Pharmacists advising on symptom control
• Chaplains or spiritual advisors
• Counsellors or psychologists

This team works together, sharing updates and listening to the wishes of both the person and their family. They also link with GPs and community services for consistent support.

Symptom Relief in Palliative Care

One of the most visible roles is changing how symptoms affect a person’s life. Symptoms can create major barriers to comfort and independence. The most common symptoms managed include:

• Pain
• Breathlessness
• Sickness and vomiting
• Fatigue or tiredness
• Constipation
• Anxiety, low mood, and depression

Professionals use many different treatments. Some are medicines, while others are physical or psychological methods. The aim is to offer small comforts, which can mean a great deal.

Some methods used:

• Providing strong pain medication, such as morphine, if needed
• Helping with breathing exercises for breathlessness
• Offering anti-sickness tablets
• Suggesting practical changes to ease fatigue
• Supporting relaxation, talking therapies, and counselling

By controlling symptoms, palliative care adds value to each day, helping the person to enjoy their favourite activities and relationships.

Communication and Decision-Making

Open and honest communication is a foundation of palliative care. Professionals speak clearly and use plain language. They help the person and their loved ones understand their illness, what to expect, and the choices available.

Discussions may cover:

• Preferences for care, such as preferred place of care
• Wishes about medical treatments, for example, whether to attempt resuscitation
• Advance care planning, which records choices and guides future actions
• Legal documents, such as a Lasting Power of Attorney, if someone wants to appoint another person to make decisions for them

Professionals encourage questions and repeat information as needed. These conversations happen at the person’s pace, always with respect and sensitivity.

Supporting Families and Carers

Palliative care understands that illness affects family and friends too. Providing support for carers is seen as part of the care itself. The team supports carers’ physical health, manages stress, and provides emotional support.

• Regular meetings and updates
• Carer training, such as how to help with medicines or moving someone safely
• Signposting to practical support, such as local charities
• Access to counsellors for bereavement or anticipatory grief

Support may continue after the person has died. Many services offer follow-up support for families, helping them process their loss and avoid feeling alone.

Spiritual and Cultural Support

Spiritual needs can become more pressing when living with illness. Spiritual care does not necessarily mean religious care. It respects everyone’s beliefs, values, and traditions—faith-based or secular.

• Chaplains and spiritual care advisors are often available
• Respect for rituals and preferences relating to illness and end of life
• Support with finding meaning, hope, and peace

Cultural beliefs might influence care choices, diet, and customs around death, so palliative care professionals ask about these needs and respect all backgrounds.

Advance Care Planning

Advance care planning helps people think ahead and make choices about future care. It gives them a chance to share their wishes, preferences, and any treatments they would want or not want. These plans are shared with the care team, so everyone knows what matters to the person.

Elements include:

• Statements about preferred place of care—such as wanting to be at home
• Decisions about life-prolonging treatments, called “advance decisions to refuse treatment”
• Identifying someone as a “health and welfare attorney” with legal power to decide if the person loses capacity

Having a plan in place can reduce stress for the family and help the person feel in control.

Palliative Care for Children and Young People

Children and young people with serious illnesses also benefit from palliative care. Their needs may include play, education, and family support. Children’s hospices, community services, and school liaison work together to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

For children, palliative care:

• Eases pain and distressing symptoms
• Supports siblings and parents emotionally
• Coordinates hospital and community care
• Helps with education and keeping up with friends, where possible

Specialist nurses, family workers, and play therapists form part of the children’s care team.

Funding and Access to Palliative Care in the UK

The NHS provides specialist palliative care, free at the point of use. Hospices rely on a mix of NHS funding and charity donations. Access varies according to local services, but a person’s right to high-quality palliative care is protected by policy across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

• Referral may come from a GP, hospital team, or social care provider
• Most areas have hospice outreach or community teams who visit patients at home
• Charities offer extra support including advice lines, day services, and family breaks

Where someone receives care, and who provides it, should respect their needs and choices as much as possible.

Training and Standards

Staff working in palliative care receive extra training in communication, symptom management, and working with families. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects and rates palliative services. This gives reassurance about quality and safety.

Training covers:

• Symptom knowledge
• Listening skills
• Consent, capacity and legal rights
• Cultural and spiritual awareness
• Working in a team

All efforts focus on providing safe, respectful, and compassionate care in every situation.

Common Misunderstandings About Palliative Care

Some people think palliative care is only for those at the very end of life, but many start much earlier. The care given is not about giving up hope, but about helping people live the way they want—right up to the end or through periods of new treatments.

It often works best when introduced early, alongside other therapies. This gives everyone more time to adjust and plan.

Other misunderstandings:

• Palliative care does not mean stopping other treatments—both may run together
• It is not only for cancer—it covers many areas of health and social care
• Many people with long-term illnesses continue receiving palliative care for months or years

Final Thoughts

One of the most valued parts of palliative care is compassion. It puts the person and their wishes at the centre and always acts with sensitivity and kindness. Dignity runs through every aspect of care—from personal support with washing, to respecting thoughts and wishes about death.

In summary, palliative care in health and social care is about making every day matter, not just adding days to life. It bridges the gap between medical treatment, social support, and emotional care, offering security at times of great uncertainty and keeping individuals and families at the heart of every decision.