Which is NOT a component of palliative care?

Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness, with an emphasis on improving the quality of life for both the patient and their family. One of the key characteristics of palliative care is that it is not primarily aimed at curative treatments but instead focuses on symptom management and comfort.

Providing curative treatments is not a component of palliative care, as this type of care is intended for patients with serious illnesses where the focus shifts from curing the disease to managing the pain and other distressing symptoms. This approach allows patients to maintain a better quality of life while receiving support for their emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs.

Symptoms such as pain and other side effects need to be effectively managed, which highlights the roles of relieving pain and controlling symptoms as essential components of palliative care. Therefore, while managing these symptoms and preventing side effects are integral to the practice, the provision of curative treatments falls outside the scope of palliative care.