Palliative Care

Palliative care is a patient-centered approach aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The focus is on providing effective pain and symptom management while offering support tailored to the needs, values, and culture of both the patient and their family.

The Landspítali Palliative Care Center is responsible for:

• Providing consultation and training to healthcare professionals and service providers across the country.

• Disseminating knowledge and education to healthcare professionals.

• Supporting the development of general palliative care in collaboration with primary healthcare, home nursing, and nursing homes.

• Serving as a resource for other specialized palliative care services both within and outside the hospital.

• Ensuring quality care through clinical guidelines, standardized procedures, and outcome measurement.

Goals of Palliative Care

Palliative care aims to enhance the well-being and quality of life of patients with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, heart, lung, neurological, and kidney diseases.

The goal is to prevent and manage symptoms and distress caused by illness and treatment as early as possible while supporting the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. This applies regardless of diagnosis, disease stage, or concurrent treatment. Palliative care also addresses the psychological, emotional, and social impact of illness.

Palliative care is provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatment. As the disease progresses, the role of palliative care increases and becomes the primary focus when the patient is nearing the end of life.

Key Aspects of Palliative Care:

• Conversations about the disease status, treatment direction, and patient preferences.

• Assessing the well-being and needs of both the patient and their family.

• Preventing and managing symptoms.

• Supporting the patient and their family in coping with changing circumstances.

• Collaboration among healthcare professionals.

All healthcare professionals should have basic knowledge of general palliative care and a holistic approach to patient care.

Specialized Palliative Care

A distinction is made between general and specialized palliative care.

• All healthcare professionals should have basic knowledge of palliative care and a holistic approach. They must provide support and treatment that improve the quality of life for patients with life-threatening or progressive illnesses, regardless of diagnosis or treatment.

• In the specialized palliative care service at Landspítali, the focus is on caring for patients with worsening illnesses and complex, multifaceted symptoms.