The Palliative Care Ward at Jinshitan Hospital Opens Its Doors
2025-10-08
Palliative Care Ward: A Gentle Haven for Life
——Let farewells be filled with warmth and dignity.
I. Why do we need such a ward?
When medical care can no longer reverse the natural course of life, what can we do for patients in the terminal stage? The latest “Guidelines for Palliative Care Practice,” released by the National Health Commission in 2025, provides an answer: Palliative care is a humanistic medical service centered on terminally ill patients and their families, offering comprehensive care that addresses physical, psychological, and spiritual needs. In China, approximately 7.5 million people require palliative care services each year, yet only 3% receive professional assistance.
Focusing on the special health needs of elderly and other vulnerable groups, Dalian Jinshitan Hospital has launched a palliative care ward, filling a service gap with professional expertise and safeguarding the dignity of life with warmth, ensuring that the final journey of life unfolds in comfort and peace. 
II. What is palliative care?
Palliative care is not about giving up treatment; rather, when curative treatments are no longer appropriate, it shifts the medical focus to symptom management and improving quality of life. Through methods such as pain relief and psychological counseling, palliative care helps patients spend their end-of-life phase comfortably, peacefully, and with dignity. At the same time, it provides family members with comprehensive support—from caregiving guidance to emotional support—ensuring that “saying goodbye” is no longer marked solely by helplessness and regret.
In response to common misconceptions about palliative care, we would like to specifically clarify:
① Palliative care ≠ waiting for death: It actively addresses discomfort symptoms such as pain, and when necessary, still conducts examinations and interventions. The core goal is to help patients “live comfortably.”
② It differs fundamentally from euthanasia: Under no circumstances does it accelerate death in any way; rather, it uses medical interventions to relieve suffering. It is about safeguarding the dignity of life, not ending it.
III. Service Recipients of Palliative Care
1. Scripture Diagnosed with advanced/terminal-stage cancer at a Tier-3 designated hospital. Patients with no hope of cure, whose condition continues to deteriorate, and whose KPS (Karnofsky Performance Status) score is 50 or lower, with an estimated survival period of no more than 3 months.
2. Patients and their families Willing and agreeing Receive palliative care Confirmed by the attending physician of the palliative care ward at the designated institution, the family members, and the patient. No longer accepting traumatic treatments such as surgery, as well as curative treatments like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies. 。
4. What is the difference between a palliative care ward and a general ward?
1. Different goals:
General Ward: Focuses on disease treatment, with “curing/lengthening life” as the primary goal.
Palliative Care Ward: Focuses on symptom management and physical and emotional comfort, with the core mission of "improving the quality of life at the end of life and safeguarding patients' dignity."
2. Different care focuses:
General ward: Centered on the "patient," with a focus on medical interventions such as examinations, medication, and surgery.
Palliative Care Ward: Centered on the “person,” it addresses physical needs (pain management and symptom relief), psychological needs (emotional support), and spiritual needs (fulfilling personal wishes).
3. Different family roles:
General ward: Family members are mostly "visitors" who cooperate with the medical procedures.
Palliative Care Ward: We encourage family members to participate in caregiving (such as assisting with feeding and providing companionship), helping them through the psychological transition and enabling them to jointly bid a warm farewell. 
5. Why choose a palliative care ward?
1. Professional Medical Care: We provide meticulous monitoring of the patient’s condition and employ various methods—including medication, positional adjustments, and respiratory support—to manage end-stage symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath, enabling patients to spend their remaining time in comfort.
2. Psychological and Spiritual Support: Palliative care is not just about treating illness—it’s also about “healing the heart.” It helps patients accept their life journey and assists family members in alleviating anxiety and grief.
3. Family Accompaniment Guidance: Provide family members with caregiving skill training and emotional support, making their companionship more meaningful and ensuring they have no regrets.
Talking about life’s “final journey” is never an easy task. Yet, the Palliative Care Ward at Dalian Jinshitan Hospital has always believed that every life deserves respect, and every farewell can be imbued with greater warmth. We don’t fight against time—we simply seek to ease the anxiety of life’s final journey. We don’t shy away from parting; rather, we strive to leave behind a warmer imprint in every “goodbye.”
We uphold dignity with professionalism and illuminate the journey home with warmth—this is our reverence for life, and also the unwavering commitment of our palliative care ward.
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