Hospice vs. Palliative Care
The main objective of hospice and palliative care is pain and symptom relief, however, the prognosis and goals of care tend to be different. Both types of care aim to “palliate” symptoms that cause discomfort. Our Hospice vs. Palliative Care support is available 24/7 for you.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is an approach that improves patients’ quality of life and their families who face problems related to life-threatening illnesses. It prevents and alleviates suffering by early detection, proper assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual. Palliative care uses a team approach to support patients and their carers. This includes addressing practical needs and advising on loss losses. We offer a support system that helps patients live as actively as possible until death.
Who can benefit from palliative care?
Palliative care is needed for a wide range of diseases. The majority of adults in need of palliative care have chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, AIDS, and diabetes. Many other conditions may require palliative care, including renal failure, chronic liver disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological diseases, dementia, congenital anomalies, and drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Pain and difficulty breathing are the two most common and serious symptoms faced by patients in need of palliative care. For example, 80% of patients with AIDS or cancer and 67% of patients with cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will experience moderate or severe pain at the end of their lives. Opioids are needed to relieve pain.
Who is in a palliative care team?
The palliative care team consists of several different professionals who work with the patient, their family, and other physicians of the patient to provide medical, social, emotional, and practical support. Our team consists of palliative care specialists and nurses, including social workers, nutritionists, and chaplains. A person’s team can change depending on their needs and level of care.
What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice care is a special type of care that focuses on the quality of life of people and their carers who are experiencing a progressive life-limiting illness. Hospice care provides compassionate help to people in the final stages of an incurable disease so that they can live as fully and comfortably as possible.
The philosophy of the hospice perceives death as the last stage of life: it affirms life but does not try to hasten or postpone death. Hospice care treats the person and the symptoms of the disease, not the disease itself. A team of professionals works together to overcome the symptoms so that a person’s last days can be spent with dignity and quality in the company of their loved ones. Hospice care is also family-oriented – it involves the patient and the family in decision-making.
When to start hospice care?
Hospice care is used when a disease, such as advanced cancer reaches a level where treatment can no longer cure or control it. In general, hospice care should be used when a person is expected to live for about 6 months or less if the disease is normal. People with advanced cancer should discuss it with their family members and the doctor to decide together when to start hospice treatment.
Research shows that hospice care often doesn’t start fast enough. Sometimes a doctor, patient, or family member will resist hospice because they think it means “giving up” or no hope. It is important to know that you can leave the hospice and start active cancer treatment at any time. But the hope that hospice brings is a quality of life that makes every day the best in the later stages of the disease.
Home care and inpatient care in the hospice
Although most hospice services are concentrated at home, you may sometimes need to be in a hospital, emergency room, or inpatient hospice. Our home hospice team can arrange inpatient care and will continue to care for you and your family. You can return to home care when you and your family are ready.
What are the benefits of hospice care?
Families of people who have received hospice assistance are more satisfied with the final assistance than those who did not have hospice services. In addition, hospice recipients are more likely to have their pain controlled and less likely to be screened or given unnecessary medications than people who do not use the hospice.
Some similarities and differences between palliative and hospice care
| Question | Palliative Care | Hospice care |
| Who can be treated? Who Qualifies? |
Anyone with a serious illness Anyone who has been diagnosed with a chronic illness and is seeking the management and relief of symptoms along with an improved quality of life | Anyone with a serious illness who doctors think has only a short time to live, often less than 6 months anyone who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is seeking the management and relief of symptoms along with an improved quality of life. |
| Will my symptoms be relieved? | Yes. Although the progression of disease plays a large role in symptom management, a carefully constructed medical and holistic regimen will reduce symptoms related to the chronic disease and improve a person’s quality of life. | Yes, Although the progression of disease plays a large role in symptom management, a carefully constructed medical and holistic regimen will reduce symptoms related to chronic disease and improve a person’s quality of life. |
| Can I continue treatment to cure my illness? | Yes, In the Palliative Setting, the continuation of curative treatments are not limited. | Once a disease has been diagnosed as terminal, treatments of the curative level often no longer have an effective impact and may start to create an even larger symptom burden. Aggressive treatments, more often than not, are ceased at the hospice stage of care. It is important to develop a plan with the patient and the hospice team that is tailor-made for the patient to minimize symptoms and enhance the quality of life. |
| How long will I be cared for? | A patient’s needs while living with a chronic illness will fluctuate. This fluctuation is a large factor in how long a patient will qualify for Palliative services. Another factor that plays a part in the length of care is a patient’s insurance. Many insurance providers will cover palliative care for as long as there is a need that Palliative care can meet or until a patient’s symptoms require a level of care that is more advanced, such as hospice. There may also come a time when a patient’s symptoms plateau, are easily managed by the patient, and no longer require the assistance of a palliative care team. | A requirement to receive hospice benefits is a terminal diagnosis of 6 months or less. However, in real life, disease processes are much more complicated than that. A patient may remain on hospice services for as long as needed with evidence of decline due to their disease. This means that if a patient surpasses that 6-month point and is still showing evidence of decline and a need for hospice services, they may remain on for as long as this decline continues. On the other end of the spectrum, some patients show improvement in symptoms and remain stable to the point that they may even return to a level of care that may be equivalent to Palliative or Home Health Services. Each person’s journey is very different, and the hospice team will continuously evaluate the needs of each patient during each visit. |
| Where will I receive this care? |
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Paying for Care
Palliative care visits can often be billed to your insurance, as long as the home-visiting physician accepts your plan. Our staff will verify this before admission. Hospice care is a recognized benefit of Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies.
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