Palliative Care is a medical specialty that is dedicated to helping patients and their loved ones cope with serious illness. Palliative care providers are experts at assessing, anticipating, and alleviating bothersome symptoms which affect an individual’s quality of life.
Palliative Care is a type of care focused on providing comfort and promoting quality of life. It is aimed to alleviate symptoms as well as providing the support needed to meet spiritual and emotional needs. All Hospice is considered Palliative Care. There are some programs where Palliative Care can be authorized before a patient meets Hospice Service criteria.
Treatments options are not limited with Palliative Care and can range from conservative to aggressive or curative.
Hospice Care treatments are limited and place an emphasis on pain management, symptom control, providing comfort and promoting quality of life. The goal is no longer to cure, but to promote comfort. All Caring Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death, but relieves pain and physical discomfort so that the patient can experience a more peaceful and satisfying state near the end of life.
Palliative Care can be considered at any time during the course of a chronic illness.
With Hospice Care, a physician must certify that a patient’s life expectancy is six months or less. Medicare requires that a physician certify that a patient’s condition is terminal.
Both Palliative Care and Hospice Care can be provided at any location; primary residence, the home of a friend or dedicated care facility.
.