Introduction: The main goal of palliative care is to take away the pain and suffering of patients with incurable diseases and improve their quality of life. It also offers support to the family members that have to deal with the fact that their relative is suffering from an incurable disease; moreover, it also provides help in the grieving process. Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify what study findings determined regarding the role of occupational therapy in palliative care. Methods of work: A descriptive study was carried out - a review of scientific sources. Inclusion criteria: content suitability, type and age of the articles, written in Slovene or English languages and available in full. There were fourteen articles included in the final analysis and synthesis. Results: The paper includes studies that meet the criteria and are related to occupational therapy and palliative care. Occupational therapists, throuh their occupations and various interventions, improve the lives of patients and their loved ones and help them through the process of dying. Occupational therapists are often included in the treatment process too late and wrongly labeled as therapists, who just prescribe gadgets. Occupatonal therapists are part of an interdisciplinary team where team members are helping one another, seek solutions for patients and their loved ones and strive for common goal. Discussion and conclusion: The findings of the studies show that occupational therapy is an important part of palliative care since by involving the patients in activities they enjoy and with client-centred approaches, their quality of life improves. It is important to promote occupational therapy services in palliative care among laymen as well as other healthcare workers. An interdisciplinary team can offer the patients many advantages, which is why it would be advisable for occupational therapists in Slovenia to become a part of the team involved in palliative care.
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