Glossary: Integrative End-of-Life Care

Cancer

Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body, which can invade surrounding tissues and disrupt normal functions. The different types of cancer are determined by which organs and tissues it occurs in, and is influenced by genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis, are health conditions that often persist for years and typically require ongoing management.

Comfort Care

This medical specialty, also referred to as palliative care, is often associated with hospice; however, it can also be used independently and alongside curative treatments. Palliative care is available in every state, appropriate for anyone at any stage of life suffering with a debilitating illness–terminal or not–and focuses on pain management and providing comfort (Deathwithdignity, 2024).

Continuum of Care

This relates to a course of therapy during which a patient’s needs for comfort care and symptom relief is managed comprehensively and seamlessly. Hospice provides a continuum of care to patients with terminal illness, and aid-in-dying is assumed as the option of last resort at the end of that continuum (Deathwithdignity, 2024).