What is the difference between Hospice and Palliative care?
As the focus often shifts from cure to care when facing a life-limiting illness, palliative care becomes invaluable. It offers a holistic approach to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families, providing comfort, dignity, symptom relief, and support. Hospice palliative care is a specialized form of palliative care that focuses on the same elements of comfort, dignity, and support, specifically during the end-of-life process usually with six months or less to live. Symptom relief becomes the primary goal, and treatments intended to cure the underlying illness are often stopped. Death doulas can be integral members of the team, often working alongside hospice and palliative care professionals to provide clear communication, answer questions, uphold the wishes of the individual and family, and extend additional support to caregivers.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care, aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families who are grappling with the complexities of a life-threatening illness. This is achieved through the early identification, precise assessment, and comprehensive management of pain and other physical, psychological, social, and spiritual challenges. Ultimately, palliative care is about minimizing suffering and maximizing the quality of life for those living with a serious illness.
Hospice Palliative Care
Hospice palliative care is a specialized form of healthcare that focuses on relieving suffering and improving the quality of life for individuals nearing the end of life and their caregivers. It acknowledges that end-of-life care extends beyond physical comfort to encompass emotional, social, spiritual, and practical needs. An individual's hospice palliative care plan is tailored to address their specific circumstances, hopes, and fears. Hospice Palliative care can be received in a variety of locations for example in BC and individual can elect to receive care in their own homes, community hospice beds or hospice houses, hospitals, and some long-term care facilities or assisted living residences.
Hospice vs. Palliative Care: Understanding the Difference
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are nuances. As a person approaches the end of life, hospice palliative care prioritizes comfort and quality of life over curative treatments. Put simply the focus is on comfort and dignity for the individual and the family.
General palliative care, on the other hand, can be beneficial at any point after a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness. It helps manage the illness, especially pain and other symptoms, allowing individuals to live as fully as possible while living with the illness.
The Takeaway
Palliative care is about living as well as possible when facing a serious illness. It is a holistic approach that addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Whether it’s general palliative care or hospice palliative care, it’s about providing comfort, dignity, and support to those facing end of life and their families.
In my personal experience when my dad was receiving palliative care he was still in treatment and looking into clinical trials along with living a fairly normal life. He would have ups and downs with how he felt but one summer even played in a volleyball tournament. It was not what I expected someone in palliative care to look like. When he transitioned to hospice palliative care we had his appointments at home and visits from hospice workers in his home. They managed his pain, ensured he was comfortable and spent time with our family so we could ask questions and make sure we were providing him with the best support possible. We also had occupational therapists in and out of the home making sure we were able to have all of the equipment we needed in the home as his mobility and strength reduced.
This was our experience and it can look different for everyone. The common links should be there however, dignity, kindness, compassion, curiosity and comfort.
