VA Palliative Care

Palliative Care uses comfort care with a focus on relieving suffering and controlling symptoms so veterans can carry out day-to-day activities and continue to do what is most important to them. It aims to improve quality of life in mind, body and spirit. Palliative Care can be combined with curative or disease-controlling treatment, started at the time of diagnosis, and provided throughout the course of the illness. An interdisciplinary team (medical provider, social worker, nurse, chaplain, mental health provider, and others) addresses physical symptoms, family coping, emotional/spiritual distress, and access to needed resources.