Palliative care can be offered simultaneously with life-prolonging curative therapies for patients living with serious illness. Palliative care guides patients and their families as they journey through the changing goals of care and assists in better understanding of treatment options. Palliative care nurse visits are not direct-care skilled nurse services, but, rather, focus on assessment, information, referral, and teaching. If direct nurse care visits are needed patients are referred to home palliative care program.