Five Principles of Palliative (comfort) Care

The Five Principles of Palliative or comfort care offer are a vision for better care at the end of life.

The LIFE Project has adopted, with minor changes, the Principles as developed by the Last Acts Task Forces on Palliative Care and the Family. Last Acts is a coalition of more than 400 organizations representing health care providers and consumers nationwide.

Click on the number to jump to the specific principle.
1 - Palliative care respects the goals, likes, and choices of the dying person.

2 - Palliative care looks after the medical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the dying person.

3 - Palliative care supports the needs of the family members.

4 - Palliative care helps gain access to needed health care providers and appropriate care settings.

5 - Palliative care builds ways to provide excellent care at the end of life.

The following Five Principles of Palliative (comfort) Care describe what care can and should be like for every Kansan facing the end of life. Some of these ideas may seem simple or just common sense. But all together they give a new and more complete way to look at end-of-life care.

1. Palliative care respects the goals, likes, and choices of the dying person. Kansans should expect to be care for by health care professionals and caregivers who:

• Respect your needs and wants as well as those of your family and other loved ones.
• Find out from you who you want to help plan your care and give you care.
• Help you understand your illness and what you can expect in the future.
• Help you figure out what is important.
• Try to meet your likes and dislikes: where you get health care, where you want to live, and the kinds of services you want.
• Help you work together with your health care provider and health plan to solve problems.

2. Palliative care looks after the medical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the dying person. Kansans should expect health care professionals and caregivers who:

• Know that dying is an important time for you and your family.
• Offer ways for you to be comfortable and ease pain and other physical discomfort.
• Help you and your family make needed changes if the illness gets worse.
• Make sure you are not alone.
• Understand there may be difficulties, fears, and painful feelings.
• Give you the chance to say and do what matters most to you.
• Help you look back on your life and make peace, even giving you a chance to grow.

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3. Palliative care supports the needs of the family members. Kansans should expect health care professionals and caregivers who:

• Understand that families and loved ones need help, too.
• Offer support services to family caregivers, such as time off for rest, and advice and support by telephone.
• Know that caregiving may put some family members at risk of getting sick themselves. It plans for their special needs.
• Find ways for family members to cope with the costs of caregiving, like loss of income, and other expenses.
• Help family members and loved ones as they grieve.

4. Palliative care helps gain access to needed health care providers and appropriate care settings. Kansas should expect health care professionals and caregivers who:

• Use many kinds of trained care providers--doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clergy, social workers, and personal care givers.
• Make sure, if necessary, that someone is in charge of seeing that your needs are met.
• Help you use hospitals (Kansas Hospital Association),home care (Kansas Home Care Association), hospice (Association of Kansas Hospices), or long term care arrangements (Kansas Association of Homes & Services for the Aging or call Kansas Health Care Association-785-267-6003).
• Tailor options to the needs of you and your family.

5. Palliative care builds ways to provide excellent care at the end of life. Kansans should expect health care professionals and caregivers who:

• Help care providers learn about the best ways to care for dying people. Palliative care gives education and support as they are needed.
• The LIFE Project has a Public Policy Task Group working on these issues.
• Seek funding by private health insurers, health plans, and government agencies.

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