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Palliative care supports people living with a serious or life-limiting illness. It focuses on relieving
pain and other symptoms, and on quality of life for the person and their family. It isn't only for
the final days or weeks of life. Many people receive palliative care for months or years alongside
their other treatment.
Not necessarily. Palliative care can start as soon as someone is diagnosed with a serious
illness, at any stage, not just at the end of life. Some people receive palliative care support for
years. The goal is comfort and quality of life for however long that is.
No. Palliative care supports people with a wide range of conditions, including heart failure,
motor neuron disease, COPD, kidney and liver disease, and dementia, as well as cancer.
Most palliative care happens in a person’s own home, through a community-based team. It’s
also provided in hospitals, nursing homes, and in a hospice inpatient unit when a higher level of
symptom management or respite is needed.
No. Children and young people with life-limiting conditions can also access palliative care, and support is adapted to their age and needs.
Care is provided by palliative care teams working in the community and in the hospice units, in partnership with the HSE. Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation raises the funds to build the hospice units, provide equipment, and support services such as family therapy, and does not charge patients or families for care.
A referral is usually made by a GP or hospital consultant. If you’re unsure whether a referral has been made or how to start that conversation, speak to your GP or hospital team directly.
Support usually includes family therapy, bereavement counselling, and practical help such as respite care or night nursing. Family members are considered part of the care, not just bystanders to it.
Palliative care isn’t fixed. Support can be increased, reduced, or adjusted as needs change, and moving between home care and a hospice stay isn’t a one-way step.
Many palliative care teams support patients who want to do this, when the patient is willing and able. This can include things like recording memories or messages for family, putting together a memory box, or writing letters or words for future occasions such as a wedding or a birthday. This isn’t offered to everyone in the same way, and it depends on what the person wants and is able to do. If this is something you or a family member are interested in, ask the care team directly about what’s possible.
Not exactly. A hospice provides palliative care, which can include end-of-life care, but also symptom management, respite stays, and day care support. Not everyone who uses a hospice is in their final days.
Bereavement support, including counselling, is available to families, usually through the same team that provided care.
