The term “palliative care” describes comfort-oriented care that addresses not just physical pain, but also the emotional, social and spiritual needs of seriously ill patients, to enhance the quality of life for both patients and their families. This definition of palliative care was established by the World Health Organization in 1990.

Sharing the same core values as hospice, palliative care extends the hospice philosophy to a broader population that may benefit from receiving this type of attention during an earlier stage of illness or disease.