Managing pain is an essential part of palliative care. But it is not the whole story. Having the right teams, at the right time, alongside every patient and their families transforms each step of the illness journey into care, comfort, and life. On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, observed this year on 10 October 2026 under the theme of “relieving pain” , Luz Saúde pays tribute to the professionals who, every day, focus on each patient, their pain, and their life . At the Continuing and Palliative Care Unit of Hospital da Luz Lisboa and at Hospital do Mar , palliative care teams provide patients with comfort and comprehensive multidisciplinary care, specialising in clinical support, treatment, and supervision. These services include symptom management, as well as medical, psychological, and spiritual support aimed at maximising comfort and contributing to patients’ dignity and quality of life. Palliative care is a structured response from modern medicine to the many causes of human suffering associated with serious illness, whether acute, chronic, life-limiting, or reversible. By addressing physical, psychological, and social distress, regardless of prognosis , palliative care promotes acceptance, adaptation, comfort, and well-being in the context of complex illness. It is considered best practice to introduce supportive care from the time of diagnosis for certain conditions, such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses, among others. Palliative care should not be offered only when curative treatment is no longer possible. Evidence shows that providing supportive care and symptom relief improves the quality of life of people living with chronic illness by reducing the severity of physical symptoms, increasing satisfaction with care, helping prevent depression, and even improving survival in diseases such as cancer. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026 is another opportunity to thank our teams dedicated to providing comfort, well-being, and quality of life to patients receiving palliative care.
