New word to replace advertising.
PALLIATE
to ease the symptoms of a problem without fixing its cause.
to make an offense appear less severe by excuses or apologies.
extenuate.
When success came it palliated a temporary loss. (AWordADay,AnuGarg)

The cancer center at one of the local hospitals has a palliative care unit.

As a kid at the doctors office, there was a painting of a distraught mother, dressed in red and her son.  The doctor (Aeschelus?-some Greek physician ) and mother were discussing her small son’s illness,
as the doctor ‘palliated’ the boy.  He had his hand below the ribs, liver or something.  At any rate I used to be so embarrassed as the boy was nude, and wondered what girls thought when they came into
the waiting room. The picture stopped just discretely before going too low, but it was wrenching to me to view.

Palliative care, properly practised, is a wonderful thing.  The people, the patients and those who visit learn to face death and not fear it, to feel cared for, spared pain and to find strength in facing the inevitability with time to prepare and accept it.

It’s not like the agora one little bit - everyone is in the same building, sharing the same experience, but in different ways for a few weeks, typically - sometimes only days, sometimes months.  When the time comes, try to find one in the countryside, with a view over a garden, and a small branch railway running by that marks the day with each passing train.

You’re waxing awfully poetic here.  (But I do love the sound of a train whistle in the night.)

I’m glad you introduced this word to the forum, Luke. The concept of palliative care certainly is one that deserves some serious thought. A client of mine, who it 80, said recently, “It’s important to be comfortable in the fourth quarter.” He was speaking about financial stability, but the idea applies equally to healthcare and human dignity.

I guess I am not too clear on exactly what is palliative care.  my understanding was massaging the body. Of course I am colored by the picture explained above which was entitled something
to the effect. Ancient medicine, a physician palliates young patient, but I could have that mixed up with palpates.

There are lots of articles on palliative care, and definitions vary. This one is pretty good.

http://www.getpalliativecare.org/

From the link provided by Saparris, palliative care is not intended to cure, but to minimise the stress of illness/infirmity or encroaching death while maximising the quality of life and sociability of someone with a debilitating illness. 

It’s easy to just knock someone out or dope them to the eyeballs so that they are easy to care for and undemanding - far more difficult to manage pain, and to help someone with an illness to accept the illness and the fact that they may not recover.  The “fourth quarter” comes to everyone, sometimes in an instant and unexpectedly - more often gradually, and with time to prepare and accept its inevitability.  When you have that opportunity, why not make the most of it, do what you can while you can, and aim to go out with grace and dignity ?

Sounds so good to me.  My mother died in my arms in the best I could provide for her last three months.