For patients looking into hospice, the term palliative care might add confusion to the process. Many of the families we meet with are thrown off by the terms hospice and palliative care, and have questions about their relationship with each other.
The truth is, for Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, the two different services are actually more alike than different. There really is just one big difference between the hospice and palliative though, and that’s in the way the care is perceived.
The Difference
The biggest difference starts at a patient’s diagnosis. Typically, palliative begins at the diagnosis, rather than the determination of death like with hospice care. Palliative care starts when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness that may not have a cure, and will need special care measures to continue living in comfort. It entails an entire health care team to help treat and manage the pain and symptoms of a chronic condition.
With hospice care, on the other hand, the patient receives a prognosis of six months or less to live. A hospice patient still receives the support team that a palliative patient does—doctors, medical director, nurse, spiritual counselor, and therapists. This means that a patient can begin palliative care before the prognosis, and then transition into hospice care when they reach that point in their illness. It then becomes a smoother, easier transition for the patient and their family members.
It’s possible that the patient’s diagnosis doesn’t put them at the need for hospice care just yet, and there have been times where a patient has recovered from their disease. For instance, palliative care may begin when a patient is diagnosed with cancer; they might not have a six month (or less) prognosis at the time and not need hospice care yet, or they may beat the cancer and not need it at all.
Because of the prognosis that comes along with hospice care, it’s more of a sensitive term for families. It holds the connotation that the patient really is at the end of their life. That’s why a small difference in the two types of care is simply the perception of each one. The word hospice itself can be a bit intimidating, or even scary, because it means the patient is approaching death.
The Similarities
Simply put, palliative care and hospice care provide the same comfort care and support in both situations. We once had a family who was setting their loved one up with hospice care, but in conversations, they kept referring to it as palliative. Care-wise, there was no difference, and to them, it was an easier term to use while they were dealing and coping with their loved one’s final days.
For Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, we look at both services with a comfort care approach. Our clinicians, nurses and team of volunteers address both types of care the same way—everyone is on board for every step of the way.
The services for both situations are extensive and geared towards creating the most comfortable environment for our patients. With both hospice and palliative care patients and their families can expect to receive or have the opportunity to receive skilled nurses; medical direction from hospice physicians; home health aide services; spiritual and grief counseling; social services; in-home care service referrals; dietary consultation; physical and speech therapy; music therapy; pet therapy; essential oil therapy; medication for pain control management; medical supplied; home medical equipment; inpatient care; bereavement care; on-call nurses; and companionship from our team of friendly volunteers.
At Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, our priority is always to provide comfort. Regardless if they’re enrolled in palliative or hospice care, the patient is going to receive an exceptional quality of care. If you or a loved one has been given a terminal diagnosis and you’d like more information on either palliative or hospice care, contact Ardent today by calling (858) 952-1286 or visiting us online.
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