How Palliative Care is Different Than Hospice
People may use the words interchangeably, but the terms hospice care and palliative care are not the same. There may be some overlap in services provided—and both are intended to provide comfort and a better quality of life for the recipient—but the primary distinction is timing. And when it comes to people and illness, even that is a complicated issue not easily pinned down.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care begins at diagnosis and aims to help your loved one recover from injury or illness. Professional caregivers can supplement this effort. They provide comfort and maintain your loved one's quality of life alongside the specialized medical palliative care the person is receiving.
Individuals living with a diagnosis of dementia, heart or lung disease, kidney failure, HIV/AIDS, cancer, ALS, COPD, and other illnesses can receive palliative care services in addition to regular treatments and care.
Palliative care is not just about the body: a cancer diagnosis, for example, can include emotional, social, practical, and spiritual side effects. It can result in job loss, depression, fear of death, and more. No matter who the person is or what the diagnosis and prognosis are, life will change for all involved. Palliative care takes the ripple effect of the disease into account, offering multidisciplinary care services, practical support, and comfort measures beyond basic pain management.
So while a doctor or nurse may be servicing the medical needs of your loved one, a professional caregiver can tend to his or her emotional and social needs.
Because services meet a range of needs that aren't always medical, the palliative care team is a real caregiving village and may include social workers, chaplains, nurses, massage therapists, doctors, nurses, registered dietitians or nutritionists, and psychologists. According to Medline, any healthcare provider is equipped to provide medical palliative care, though there are those who specialize in this area. That said, palliative care can be delivered in and through many settings: hospitals, long-term care facilities, cancer centers, and home care agencies.
Pain management and quality of life are often most important, but the scope of services is quite broad. Among the options for palliative care: occupational or physical therapies, alternative medicines, nutritional guidance, transportation, and housing resources, referrals for mental health providers, support groups, or counseling. A professional caregiver can also work with families and individuals on understanding a prognosis, complex medical forms, and treatment choices.
What Is Hospice Care?
Hospice care begins when treatment has ended and the person is not expected to live through or recover from the illness or disease. Per Medline, hospice is offered when a person is given six months or less to live. The time frame is not a hard science since every person’s disease course is different, and every provider’s end-of-life philosophy is also distinctive. Some people may only receive hospice for a few days, others several weeks and others still may be taken off hospice if their health status changes.
Hospice care is elective. If an individual decides to pursue treatment for a disease, he or she could be taken off hospice care until later in the disease process. It’s important to note too, per the UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute, that not all treatments must be discontinued to be eligible for hospice care. Curative treatment for the terminal illness will not continue, but if a person takes medication to treat a condition causing high blood pressure, she can continue that course of meds.
Like palliative care, people who are eligible for hospice services are living with an incurable illness or terminal diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, or a range of other diagnoses. The debilitating effects of a stroke can also prompt the need for hospice care.
Hospice care is multidisciplinary in its delivery, similar to palliative care. The news that a person is nearing the end of life can have devastating effects on the individual—and that person’s family and friends. Besides physical comfort measures, hospice care addresses the need for emotional and spiritual support, guidance on grief, loss, depression, and practical assistance with the necessary paperwork, for example.
As with palliative care, a multidisciplinary approach means a diverse team of care providers. A primary care physician is usually still involved, but a hospice physician may also join the team—alongside nurses, trained volunteers, home health aides, social workers, clergy or other spiritual advisors and counselors, and speech, physical, or occupational therapists. Hospice can be provided in a freestanding hospice facility, in the person’s home, a hospital, or other long-term care facilities.
How Visiting Angels Supports Palliative and Hospice Care
Visiting Angels caregivers play a vital role in both palliative and hospice care by providing compassionate, personalized support that complements medical services. Our non-medical professional caregivers can assist with daily activities like meal preparation, medication reminders, and personal care, allowing your loved one to maintain dignity and comfort at home. Beyond physical assistance, our caregivers offer emotional support and companionship during difficult times, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety that often accompany serious illness.
For families navigating palliative care, our caregivers can provide respite for family members while ensuring continuous care and monitoring. During hospice care, our caregivers work alongside hospice teams to provide additional comfort measures, help with practical needs, and offer support to both the patient and family members. Our flexible scheduling allows families to receive care when it's needed most, whether for a few hours a day or around-the-clock support, ensuring that your loved one can spend their remaining time in the comfort and familiarity of home surrounded by those who matter most.