ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the specifics of dyspnea management when the patient has elected for palliative care, either within the context of ongoing disease management or in a switch from curative care to care focused on symptom alleviation and quality of life. Palliative care, once equated primarily with care at or near the end of life, is widely recognized as an important component of the total care plan for any patient with potentially life-limiting illness, beginning early in the disease trajectory and extending through its entire course. The condition of many palliative care patients is both fragile and evolving. Dyspnea self-management programs developed to date are typically built on the core components of individualized education about dyspnea management strategies, skills training, and ongoing support. People without an obvious trigger present a different set of challenges for improving control of the symptom of breathlessness.
