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Palliative Care
Specialized care focused on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for patients with serious illness, at any stage.
Distinct from hospice (which is for terminal illness with prognosis <6 months). Nutrition goals shift toward comfort, symptom management, and honoring patient preferences rather than aggressive support. Decisions about artificial nutrition and hydration require shared decision-making, attention to advance directives, and recognition that forced intake near end of life often increases distress.
How one textbook covers it
Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 9
Distinct from hospice (which is for terminal illness with prognosis <6 months). Nutrition goals shift toward comfort, symptom management, and honoring patient preferences rather than aggressive support. Decisions about artificial nutrition and hydration require shared decision-making, attention to advance directives, and recognition that forced intake near end of life often increases distress.
Related terms
Advance Directives, Hospice Care, Terminal Illness