In the Arms of the Community Gramma is increasingly feeble but doesn't want to leave her home. Uncle Ted has terminal cancer. He can't care for himself at home any more, but he doesn't want to leave his lifelong community. He's come home to the family farm in the last stages of his disease.
Palliative care is the provision of pain management and comfort to a dying person.
Just as births can take place in a hospital, a birthing centre or at home, palliative care can be given anywhere. Palliative care takes place in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes or at home, depending on the community and the patient's wishes. Rural palliative care faces particular challenges. Given the long distances, impact of adverse weather and scarcity of health care resources in the rural environment, supporting a patient and his or her family within the community can be difficult. In addition, since palliative care is tailored to and dependent on a patient's individual needs and wishes, it usually doesn't fit into a narrowly defined health care system or program.