You have probably heard the terms palliative care and hospice care. You know both are commonly used in the aging population. Both forms of care revolve around ensuring comfort. Providing pain management. Both can help improve quality of life. You may need palliative care or hospice care for a loved one. Therefore, it is important to understand the difference.
Care.com breaks down the similarities and differences for us. Both palliative care and hospice care involve a team of professionals. This could include nurses, doctors, social workers, and chaplains. Palliative care is appropriate if you are dealing with a serious condition, but it doesn’t need to be life-threatening. You will still receive medical care and treatments for your condition. Your palliative care team will help make sure you are comfortable in a variety of ways.
Hospice is if you are expected to have six months or less to live. Palliative care is included in hospice. But medical treatments are stopped when using hospice care. The focus remains on keeping you comfortable. Family support, respite care, and grief counseling are available to you. You can still receive medical treatment to treat underlying symptoms. These could be things like pain medications or oxygen. But all curative treatments are discontinued.
These two forms of care definitely overlap. Deciding which is the most appropriate to you can be very difficult. Social workers and aging life care managers, such as Arizona Elder Care, are able to give you professional advice on this matter. Reach out to us for help by calling 928-639-1583.