Who can get palliative treatment?

If you have a life-threatening illness, you and your dependents get palliative help and support as needed throughout the course of the illness.
The need for palliation will vary from person to person, over time and in extent.
It is difficult to predict an individual's need for palliation.
Therefore, specialists must examine the need several times over the course of the illness.

The goal is to relieve suffering, whether it is physical, psychological, social or of an existential spiritual nature.
To achieve that, a multidisciplinary approach is needed.

Palliative care can be provided during different periods of an illness.
It may be early on during the course of the illness, often coinciding with, and as part of, the treatment for the illness.
This period may last from months to years.

During later stages, the active treatment may be completed, and if the disease is more advanced, then palliative care will take up more time.
This period may last from weeks to months.

Professionals call the last part of the course of the illness the terminal phase or period.
This is when the patient is terminally ill.
This phase may last from days to weeks.

After the death, the surviving relatives are offered support and care.
You can speak to your doctor, nurse or municipality about what type of help you and your family need during the process.

All options aren't available to everyone, and there isn't always a free space at the time you may need it.
Therefore, it's a good idea if you and your relatives find information about the possibilities and available offers in your region and municipality early on in the course of the illness.

Progression of illness may sometimes change suddenly and unexpectedly, so it is good if you know about your options in advance.
You can look for information on the Internet and get advice from your doctor.