Palliative care, also called supportive care, aims to reduce or eliminate symptoms of the life-threatening disease or side effects of treatments.
Tips & Links
- Palliative care is about improving the quality of your life if you have been diagnosed with a life-limiting disease. It is different from hospice care or end-of-life care because it should be started at the time of diagnosis – not just at the end of your life.
- Understand the meaning and purpose for palliative care from Dying with Dignity Canada.
- Learn about hospice and palliative care in your home, hospital, or residential care setting from Healthlink BC.
- Learn about how palliative care includes sources of support to meet your emotional, spiritual, practical, and social needs from the BC Centre for Palliative Care.
- Learn how to access palliative care services in your own community by asking for a home care assessment from your health authority.
- Explore the ways medication, physical and rehabilitation therapies, anesthesiology, psychology, social work, radiology, massage, acupuncture, and meditation can help relieve symptoms. Start by speaking with your physician, nurse practitioner, or specialist.
- Learn how to apply for BC Palliative Care benefits, once your physician has determined you need palliative care, to cover some of the costs for medications, supplies, and treatments.
- If diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, start to learn and talk about an advance care plan, a temporary substitute decision-maker or substitute decision-maker, and your end-of-life choices.
Tools – Handouts & Videos
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