Over the last century, major technological advances in the health field, together with other factors - environmental and genetic - have enabled people affected by various diseases to survive longer, with the consequent increase in the longevity of the population. This has led to a progressive increase in chronic and other lethal diseases, which, with current treatments, are becoming increasingly chronic over time.

We often live under the myth that Palliative Care focuses only on cancer patients, when the number of people treated for degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, renal failure, etc. is increasingly higher issue . Pathologies that, in most cases, affect people over 60 years of age.

Sometimes the pace of life in today's society makes us consider a health care goal focused on prevention and cure of diseases, and we forget to provide attention and quality care until the end of life. There is not always room for cure but there will always be room for care.

In the elderly population, in the healthcare field, one of the major problems we question is the need to consume resources on people whose life span is limited, and we sometimes resort to basic measures and treatments without asking ourselves how they need and want to be cared for. We may think that because it is an elderly person, when his or her life is coming to an end, there can be no room for fear, insecurity, suffering, and we fall into the error of paying less attention to the need to give meaning to his or her life.

The elderly also need multidimensional care at the end of their lives, and palliative care helps them to maintain physical comfort and mitigate existential suffering. Professionals have the role of accompanying them in those moments where their decisions and choices have a great protagonism, without forgetting their caregivers and, especially, their families.

As specialists we must approach these families with respect and understanding in the face of suffering, allowing openness and expression of emotions through empathy and active listening. Sometimes, the diagnosis of the disease may involve a redistribution of roles and responsibilities within the family nucleus and, in turn, may entail an economic overload that generates greater stress and suffering. In this sense, our intervention should be approached from an individualized approach that covers social, emotional and economic aspects, and also ensures their care.

For palliative care professionals, families are part of our daily lives, they share their experiences and stories with us, they teach us and give us valuable lessons on how they cope with suffering and farewell, and with them we learn to value our perception of life.