Hospice Care vs. Palliative Care

Neither hospice or palliative care act as treatments for your disease or condition with the goal of curing you or making you better. Instead, they both focus on making you feel better.

In the case of hospice, the general idea is to provide comfort care and alleviate painful symptoms for someone as they near the end of their life due to a terminal illness.

Palliative care, while employed when a condition is still being treated and could possibly be cured or managed, is similar in that it does not treat the condition but is used to improve the person’s quality of life by reducing their symptoms.

There is a lot of overlap in the types of conditions in which palliative care and hospice care may be used.

The main difference is the stage or specific type of the condition, with cases that become terminal using hospice care while palliative care can be used throughout your care. In fact, palliative care can transition into hospice care in some cases if the decision is made to stop trying to treat the illness.

The intent of hospice and palliative care is largely the same: to improve your quality of life and alleviate pain and discomfort that arise from your condition.

Both have value at the stages they are used. Palliative care can make living with a chronic condition much more manageable abd help a person through a disease or illness that may eventually be cured.

Hospice can help you if you are nearing the end of your life due to a terminal illness to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible during that time.

The key difference between hospice and palliative care is not how they are used but when they are used.

Hospice care is exclusively used in terminal cases. This means your condition will not get better or become manageable, will lead to the end of your life and is no longer being treated. Hospice typically only is used in the final months of a person’s life.

Palliative care provides many of the same advantages as hospice care but is used in coordination with the treatment of an illness or disease. It can be used for a condition that you are fighting or can be cured, or even for a chronic condition that won’t go away but can be managed.

If things get worse or your condition progresses to the point that it becomes terminal or you no longer want treatment, palliative care can transition into hospice.

To be eligible for hospice, you typically must have six months or fewer that you are expected to live. On top of your terminal condition, using hospice usually means that you are no longer attempting to treat your condition, with the sole focus now being on your comfort and your quality of life.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, palliative care can begin essentially from the diagnosis of a serious illness and disease. It can be useful at various stages of your illness.

Hospice begins when you have six months or fewer to live and will typically last until the end of your life. Throughout this time, the focus of your care will be on managing your pain and maintaining your quality of life.

Palliative care can last as long as you are dealing with your condition and receiving treatment. If you opt to stop getting treatment or the condition becomes terminal, then your palliative care would transfer to hospice.

Medicare covers hospice as long as you meet certain requirements. Your doctor must certify that your illness is terminal, meaning you have six months or fewer to live.

You also must verify that you are no longer receiving treatment for your condition and are opting for hospice instead, typically by signing a statement that says you choose hospice over Medicare-covered treatments.

Typically, you will pay nothing for hospice care. You usually receive care in your home. You may have 5% of the amount if you receive inpatient respite care, and there may be other costs like room and board if you receive care in a nursing home or similar facility since Medicare does not cover nursing home stays.

Some palliative care is included in Original Medicare services if they are covered under Part A or Part B. Palliative care is made up of treatments and services like physical therapy and medications. There may also be more coverage available through a Medicare Advantage plan, which is provided by private insurers and can offer coverage that goes beyond the scope of Original Medicare.

The main factor to consider when choosing between palliative care and hospice is what stage you are at with your condition.

Remember that palliative care can be employed to ease pain, alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life while you are being treated for or fighting your illness. This makes palliative care your best option at any stage beginning as early as diagnosis and continuing as long as you are receiving treatment.

Hospice is the best option if your condition advances to the point that you are reaching the end of your life. You should choose hospice if you have six months or fewer to live and if you no longer are interested in fighting the illness or receiving treatment for it.

Your hospice care will be entirely about making you comfortable and reducing symptoms instead of attempting to combat the condition.