Hospice Care
What Is the Difference Between Palliative and Hospice Care?
Palliative care and hospice care both provide comfort to patients by helping them manage pain and other symptoms caused by the life-limiting illness they’re facing. Both options of care help support patients and their families and look to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Although palliative care and hospice care share several important similarities, there are also important distinctions between the two.
Palliative care is intended to help improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with serious illnesses by helping them treat pain and other symptoms. Patients living with cancer or kidney disease, for example, may receive palliative care.
Palliative care can begin at diagnosis and be administered alongside treatment. Patients receive collaborative care under their primary care and specialist teams.
Hospice care is compassionate care that prioritizes the quality of life for patients with advanced or life-limiting illnesses. Relief-based rather than curative, it helps patients manage pain and other symptoms, with an emphasis on providing dignity and supporting a peaceful end-of-life experience.
Although the decision to receive hospice care is a personal one for the patient and their loved ones, it is typically recommended after treatment of a disease is stopped and when a physician has given a six-month or less prognosis. The physician must provide a written order of this to the hospice of the patient’s choosing before services can be rendered.
At Georgia Hospice Care, we’re committed to serving those affected by serious illness through exceptional care and love. We offer physical, emotional, and spiritual support to both patients and their loved ones, and our goal is to make a meaningful impact on their journeys. If you have any questions or want to learn more about the services we provide, please contact us today.