Palliative Care in the Elderly

16 social, spiritual care and support. The ultimate goal of palliative care is the achievement of the best quality of life for patients and their families2. Similar to geriatric medicine, palliative medicine emphasizes on an inter-disciplinary approach in delivering holistic care. With the coordinated efforts of all disciplines (such as doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, clinical psychologists, dietitians, pastoral care workers and volunteers), palliative care offers support systems to help patients live their remaining lives as actively as possible, as well as helping families to cope with patient’s illness and death. Palliative care neither intends to nor postpone death, but affirm life and regard dying as a normal process. Since the pioneering work in 1960s by Dame Cicely Saunders in St Christopher’s Hospice, London, palliative care has now grown extensively in developed and developing worlds. Various countries have included palliative care in their undergraduate curriculum and postgraduate medical education3. The principles and values of palliative care are increasingly recognised.