Many people fear death partly because of the perception they might suffer increasing pain and other awful symptoms the nearer it gets.
There is often the belief palliative care may not alleviate such pain, leaving many people to die excruciating deaths.
But an excruciating death is extremely rare.
The evidence about palliative care is that pain and other symptoms, such as fatigue, insomnia and breathing issues, actually improve as people move closer to death.