Palliative Care: The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of a seriously ill person’s life, and to support the patient and family when faced with terminal illness. This includes managing physical symptoms, assessing psychological and spiritual needs, patient support system and discharge planning issues. Palliative care is part of hospice care, but it can begin any time during a patient’s illness. A team approach to palliative care is optimal, with the primary care provider and social services playing an active role. While it is not currently the norm, palliative care can be provided at community health centers
