This paper reviews service contents and benefits of palliative care in patients with heart failure and summarizes the timing to implement palliative care. Based on the literature review and current status of clinical practice, the evaluation methods that can be used by healthcare providers to identify the palliative care needs of patients with heart failure in the early stage are summed up as well. The aim of this review is to help healthcare providers in China identify patients with heart failure who need palliative care as early as possible and provide timely palliative care.