Case studies: palliative care in Vital Signs 2014: The State of Safety and Quality in Australian Health Care

Palliative care is a vital component of Australia's healthcare services, and is provided to those living with a life‑threatening illness, whether they are adults, adolescents or children. The aim of palliative care is to improve a person's quality of life by managing the symptoms of their illness and providing emotional, spiritual and social support for the person and their family or carers. Unlike other areas in health care, palliative care focuses on addressing the patient's needs rather than the underlying medical diagnosis (see the box on the right).