Palliative care is a type of medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness. The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. This type of care is provided by a team of healthcare professionals, which may include doctors, nurses, social workers, and other specialists. Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatment, and can be provided in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, hospices, and in the patient’s home. It can be provided to people with serious illness, including cancer, heart failure, and kidney disease, as well as others whose illness is not responding to treatment or those nearing end of life.