# Palliative care Keywords: - [palliative care](< /en/search?q=palliative care >) - [cancer](< /en/search?q=cancer >) With palliative care, we alleviate the patient’s symptoms and support the quality of life of the patient and his loved ones. With palliative care, we maintain the best possible quality of life by preventing and alleviating the symptoms caused by the illness and support coping with the illness according to the wishes and needs of the patient. ## What is palliative care? --- In palliative care, we encounter the patient and his loved ones in an individual and holistic manner. In the provided treatment, we take the patient’s mental, social, spiritual and conviction-related matters into consideration. A serious illness also affects the patient’s loved ones. Support for loved ones is an integral part of our holistic palliative care. End-of-life care is a part of palliative care. End-of-life care refers to the treatment of a dying patient who is in the final stage of their life, often during the last weeks or last days of the patient’s life. ## Who is provided palliative care? --- All patients who have a chronic, progressive disease that causes symptoms that affect the patient’s quality of life or who are in need of support, are entitled to palliative care. Such diseases include metastatic cancer, advanced cardiac, hepatic or renal insufficiency, chronic lung disease, and progressive neurological disease, for example. ## When is palliative care provided? --- ### **Early palliative care** Palliative care does not rule out other forms of treatment. Treatment to relieve symptoms and support the quality of life should begin in the early stage of chronic illness alongside treatment of the primary disease. Treatment to relieve symptoms alleviates the symptoms, and the required support alleviates the emotional and physical stress caused by an illness or treatment. We provide early palliative care, for example, in connection with cancer drug therapies that hinder the progression of cancer. ### **Transferring to symptomatic treatment (palliative care line)** The move to palliative care is made when it is no longer possible to treat the progression of an illness with targeted care and the illness is causing troubling symptoms. In this case, treatment aims to alleviate symptoms, ensure a good quality of life and an active end of life with the illness in line with the patient’s wishes. When transferring to symptomatic care, treatment as such will not be abandoned, but it will be directed to the best possible treatment of a terminally ill patient. It does not rule out any other treatments or therapies that you could still benefit from. A person can remain in the palliative care phase for several months, sometimes even for a few years. ## End-of-life care --- The final stage of a palliative care line, end-of-life care, means care and support in the last stages of life, during the last weeks or days of life. In end-of-life care, we strive to guarantee the most dignified and asymptomatic end of life for a patient who is approaching death, as well as enabling the support that the patient and their loved ones need. End-of-life care can be provided either at home with the support of home hospital services, on a ward, or in a hospice care home. ## Treatment plan for end-of-life care --- As the disease progresses, it is a good idea to make a plan for end-of-life care so that a patient’s wishes and expectations can be taken into consideration as best as possible. The plan assesses what kind of palliative care is currently required, what will be required in the future, and how best to implement it. This creates a foundation for organizing good treatment. A living will allows you to communicate your wishes regarding the care you receive in the event that you are unable to communicate your wishes yourself in the final stages of your life. Likelihood to recommend (NPS) ## Comprehensive Cancer Center Feedback (pcs) 24 Situation 2.5.2026 -100 100 100 i What is NPS? ## [ Palliative Hub (opens in new window, links to another website) ](https://www.terveyskyla.fi/palliatiivinentalo) terveyskyla.fi For more information on how to live with an incurable illness, visit the Palliative Hub at the Health Village ( Terveyskylä online service in Finnish). ​Health Village ( Terveyskylä) is an online service for specialist medical care. Go to the Palliative Hub front page  ## Units related to the service ### [ Palliative Center, Comprehensive Cancer Center ](/en/patient/hospitals-and-other-units/comprehensive-cancer-center/palliative-center-comprehensive) At the Palliative Care Center, we provide support and treatment for patients in Uusimaa suffering from cancer or other chronic illnesses that impair their… ## Further information on this topic ### [ Support for people with cancer and those recovering from cancer ](/en/patient/treatments-and-examinations/support-people-cancer-and-those-recovering-cancer) Updated: 25.06.2025 Print this page