ABSTRACT
Recognized as an innovative type of health care, palliative care is becoming more popular in Brazil, especially over the last decade. It differs fundamentally from curative medicine by focusing on comprehensive care, through the prevention and control of symptoms for every patient facing a serious and life-threatening illness - a concept that also applies to family members, caregivers and healthcare teams. In this article, we recover the history of palliative care in the world, discuss its concepts and principles, and point out the state of the art of its practice in Brazil, focusing on organization of services and the recent regulations for professionals, patients and institutions..
KEYWORDS:
Palliative care; Palliative medicine; Terminal illness; Aging; Health care