Palliative and Hospice Care

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a medical discipline that specializes in symptom management—providing your loved one with possible treatment options to relieve pain, symptoms, and distress caused by a serious disease and/or treatment side effects. When appropriate, palliative intervention can offer person-centered care in conjunction with medical treatment throughout the course of the disease, as well as part of hospice. 

What is hospice care?

Hospice care is offered when your loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and has been given a six-month prognosis. It is an acknowledgement by you, your loved one, and his/her health care provider that all curative treatment and life-prolonging intervention has been exhausted and terminated. Hospice provides person-centered care, including palliative intervention, which can keep your loved one comfortable for the remainder of his/her life.
 
It is important to know that seeking palliative or hospice care is not a sign of giving up hope or hastening death. Palliative medicine helps your loved ones manage pain, symptoms, and stressors, while hospice provides special care and support to improve quality of life for both you and your loved ones.

For more information and resources, visit the CaringInfo website for a program created by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.