Palliative Care Needs in Advanced Non-Malignant Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Study of Greek Patients’ and Caregivers’ Perspectives

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Palliative care (PC) has traditionally focused on patients with cancer and their families. However, individuals living with advanced non-malignant chronic diseases and their caregivers face comparable challenges that significantly affect their quality of life. This study aimed to explore the PC needs of patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions through the lived experiences of both patients and their informal caregivers. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight patients and nine caregivers recruited via the Municipality of Katerini "Help at Home" program (Jan-Mar 2025). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim (in Greek), and analyzed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the International Hellenic University (Ref. No. 18/22.12.2022), and official consent was gained from the Municipality of Katerini (Approval Ref. No. 7803-/30/01/2025). RESULTS: Five themes emerged: (1) basic daily care and physical support; (2) psychosomatic and emotional impact; (3) social withdrawal and role change; (4) support systems and coping resources; and (5) experience with the healthcare system and organized care. Participants highlighted urgent needs for home-based physiotherapy/nursing, caregiver respite, and psychological support. Coping and resilience-related resources-expressed through family support, familiarity of the home environment, and spirituality-were described as essential mechanisms that helped dyads sustain home care and shaped how needs were experienced across multiple domains, particularly amid service gaps. CONCLUSIONS: These findings document complex, interlinked needs among patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions and their caregivers and support the development of community-based, integrated PC services. Larger, multicenter studies and the development/validation of a needs-assessment tool are recommended.