What is the Difference?
How are Hospice and Palliative Care Different?
One of the most common questions we hear is “how are hospice care and palliative care different?” While both hospice and palliative care have the same goal in mind of symptom management and keeping the patient out of the hospital, the types of care are different.
What Does “Palliative Care” Look Like?
Most people use the two terms interchangeably however, palliative care is used to improve the quality of life of patients who have been diagnosed with a serious illness. Palliative care is used for expert symptom management while the patient is still undergoing curative treatment. Our Palliative Care team works with the patient’s physician(s) and/or specialist(s) to coordinate the best care plan and symptom management. Our palliative care program is provided in the patient’s house, apartment/duplex, or an assisted living facility and the patient can continue to visit their physician/specialist’s office(s).
When Can I Receive Hospice Or Palliative Care?
Palliative care is available to you at any stage of a serious illness, while hospice care is available when a cure is no longer attainable. You can receive palliative care while receiving curative and/or aggressive treatments. Patients on hospice care do receive palliative care, which is pain and symptom management, while hospice care is a more holistic approach to managing the last months of a person’s life.
How Is Hospice Different?
On the other hand, hospice care is aimed at patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Hospice care is not a death sentence, rather it is extra help for the patient and their family/caregiver(s). Hospice care steps in to manage all types of pain- physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, and psychological- when curative treatment is no longer attainable. If the patient’s physician chooses to continue in their care plan, hospice care also works with their physician to coordinate care but in the home setting, which can be a house, apartment/duplex, assisted living community, nursing home, or the Lucy Smith King Care Center.
If you have any questions about Hospice Care or Palliative Care or want to see if you or a loved one qualify, call us at (270) 826-2326.
