Which term refers to care that relieves pain and controls symptoms for people with serious illnesses or who are dying?

• A. Curative care
• B. Palliative care
• C. Hospice care
• D. Preventive care

Answer: (B)

Palliative care is care that focuses on relieving pain and controlling symptoms for people with serious illnesses or who are dying. It aims to improve quality of life for the patient and family, addressing physical symptoms as well as emotional and spiritual needs, and it can be provided alongside curative or disease-directed treatments. This makes it the best fit here because the emphasis is on comfort and symptom relief rather than curing the disease. By contrast, curative care focuses on eliminating the illness, preventive care aims to stop illness from occurring, and hospice care is a form of palliative care for those with a prognosis of limited life expectancy where the focus is on comfort and support when curative treatment is no longer pursued. For a CNA, this means helping with comfort measures, monitoring and reporting symptoms like pain or shortness of breath, and supporting the patient and family as part of the care team.