Palliative care focuses on improving a patient's quality of life by improving their illness symptoms, such as pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping. It's used with a variety of ailments, such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney failure, or congestive heart failure.
Palliative care can be provided in the hospital, at home, or in a setting specializing in such care. It may be long-term over several years, or short-term, lasting days or weeks. Palliative care may include chemotherapy or radiation for pain control.