Most people know what hospice care is because a loved one may have received hospice services at the end of their life. However, many people may not know about palliative care and how it can help patients diagnosed with serious medical conditions. It is important to know the difference between palliative care and hospice so loved ones get the type of care they need.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care often starts with the diagnosis of serious medical conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, congestive heart failure, or other progressive illnesses. Palliative care is often referred to as comfort care because it makes patient more comfortable as they go through treatment. Hospice and palliative care can be used in conjunction for patients with terminal illnesses and who need painkillers to cope with their condition.
Hospice or Palliative Care
The main difference between hospice and palliative care is the outcome. While terminal patients may receive palliative care to make their final days more comfortable, not all palliative care patients are terminal. Those receiving comfort care can recover from their illness or improve over time. With hospice care, the patient isn’t expected to recover or live for more than six months.
Most palliative care is usually provided in a hospital or rehabilitation facility as it may include closely monitored drug treatments, and patients may need physical or occupational therapy to aide in their recovery. On the other hand, hospice patients can be treated at home if they wish, so they can be surrounded by the people and things they love in their final days. Another difference between these two types of care is who pays for it.
Private insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare covers hospice expenses, while private insurance and patients are responsible to pay for the palliative care they receive. If you have questions about end-of-life care, visit Sacred Journey Hospice to get more information. You can follow them on Google+ for more information.
