What Is the Difference Between Hospice and Palliative Care?
Palliative care focuses on relief from symptoms and stress during serious illness and can often be provided alongside treatment. Hospice is a form of care generally used when a person has a terminal prognosis and the focus shifts to comfort rather than curative treatment.
What palliative care offers
Palliative teams may help with pain and symptom management, communication and goals-of-care conversations. Eligibility and services depend on the provider and coverage. Kimberly Diaz, RN brings nearly three decades of nursing experience to helping families ask clearer questions about these options.
What hospice offers
Hospice provides an interdisciplinary approach to comfort-focused care, usually wherever the person lives. In the United States, specific eligibility and coverage rules apply, so ask the treating clinician and hospice team about the person's situation.
- Ask what services are available at home or in a facility.
- Ask how medications, equipment and after-hours concerns are handled.
- Discuss what matters most to the person and who should participate in decisions.
When to start the conversation
Families do not need to wait until the final days to ask. A care navigator can help organize questions and coordinate conversations with the medical team while respecting the person's wishes.
Related service: RN Care Navigator Denver
Not sure where to start? Schedule a consultation with Kimberly and the Care Matters team. Schedule a Consultation