What Is The Difference Between Hospice & Palliative Care?

At Santé, we provide compassionate palliative and hospice care to patients requiring additional comfort and care in unique circumstances. While most people understand what hospice is, the purpose of palliative care might not be as familiar.
In general terms, there is one primary difference between hospice and palliative care: hospice cares for the patient as they experience end of life, while palliative care can provide comfort to patients enduring illness at any stage of life. For example, some patients suffer from a chronic illness such as COPD or Multiple Sclerosis but may have many years left to live. Palliative care focuses on alleviating their symptoms to provide comfort.

While hospice is designed only for patients nearing end of life, palliative care is available to both patients who are near end of life and patients who aren’t. Palliative care and hospice care can be provided either alone or concurrently to a single patient for the best outcome.

Despite this primary difference between hospice and palliative care, the two have several components in common including:

• Focus on comfort and quality of life for the patient. Whether the patient is receiving palliative care, hospice, or both, he or she can expect care designed to alleviate pain and discomfort and increase comfort.
• Offered in the patient’s home. Our compassionate staff provide both palliative and hospice care in the comfort of the patient’s home for maximum convenience and quality of life.
• Family-centered support. Families receive education, respite, and comfort and have input on their loved one’s care when you receive palliative or hospice care.
• Emphasis on the whole patient. While a short-term post-acute care stay may primarily focus on a single issue – such as recovery from surgery – palliative care and hospice also address the patient as a whole, including special attention to spiritual and emotional well being.

To learn more about the comforting services we offer, contact us at Santé. At Santé, we value our patients and provide care and compassion that helps to preserve their dignity and quality of life.