Palliative care and symptom support

Talk about palliative care early

Hearing “palliative care” can be unsettling, especially if you associate it only with dying. Palliative care is not only end-of-life care. It is an approach to care that focuses on comfort, support, and quality of life throughout a serious illness — not just in the last days or weeks.

For someone with pancreatic cancer, that can mean getting help with symptoms while continuing cancer treatment, planning for changes in care, and making sure family members know where to turn for support.

Starting the conversation early gives you an opportunity to discuss your needs and preferences before a crisis develops. It does not mean every symptom can be prevented or managed at home.

What palliative care meant to our family

My mother had fifteen excellent months when she lived life to the fullest. Palliative care was an important part of supporting her quality of life.

For our family, it meant having a team around us, taking symptoms seriously, and asking for help before problems became harder to manage.

The Paramedics Providing Palliative Care Program was invaluable. When my mother experienced problems such as vomiting or dehydration, paramedics were able to help at home, on occasions when we would otherwise have faced a long emergency-department visit.

We learned to work closely with her palliative care team and to speak up when something changed. Being involved in those conversations helped us feel more informed and involved in her care.

My message to other families is simple: ask about palliative care early. You do not have to wait until things become overwhelming.

What can palliative care help with?

Palliative care considers the whole person, not just a diagnosis. Depending on your needs and the services available, support can include:

• Managing pain and other distressing physical symptoms.
• Emotional, social, and spiritual support.
• Discussing treatment preferences and goals.
• Coordinating care and planning for changing needs.
• Supporting family members and caregivers.
• Grief and bereavement support.

Your needs may change over time. The plan should reflect what matters to you, and be reviewed as your situation changes.

Can I receive palliative care during cancer treatment?

Yes. Palliative care can be offered alongside treatments intended to cure or control an illness, including chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Asking about it does not automatically mean stopping cancer treatment.

Ask your team how symptom support and cancer treatment can work together in your circumstances.

Who provides it, and where?

Palliative care is an approach that can involve your existing healthcare providers as well as specialist teams. Services may include doctors, nurses, social workers, and other professionals working together around your needs.

Care may be provided at home or in other healthcare settings. What is available — and how to access it — depends on your location, your needs, and local services.

“Who will coordinate my symptom support, and who should we contact if something changes?”

Ask about support at home

Some communities have programs that allow trained paramedics to provide palliative symptom care at home. These programs may help avoid a hospital trip when treatment at home is clinically appropriate and consistent with the person’s wishes. They do not replace emergency care when hospital assessment is needed.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, community paramedicine — including support for palliative care patients at home — is part of the provincial ambulance system. Ask your care team how it works where you live.

Ask your care team:

• Is a palliative paramedic or community paramedicine program available where I live?
• Do I need to enrol, or have a care plan in place?
• Which symptoms can the local service assess or treat?
• What number should we call during the day, and after hours?
• When should we seek emergency care instead?

Questions to ask your care team

You could start with:

“I would like help managing symptoms and maintaining my quality of life. Can we talk about palliative care?”

• Who can help with pain or symptoms between appointments?
• Would a specialist palliative care assessment be appropriate?
• What should we do if the current symptom plan is not working?
• What support is available for my caregiver?
• What services can come to our home?
• Can we have a written plan with daytime and after-hours contacts?

These are suggested conversation starters, not eligibility criteria. Palliative care is intended to support both the person with the illness and those caring for them.

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