What is the difference between Palliative and Hospice Care?
Answer
While it's true that hospice is one type of palliative care, hospice care and traditional palliative care bear minimal similarities. The key differences are important to recognize:
Hospice care is appropriate during the last 6 months of life.
Palliative care should start at the time of diagnosis.
Hospice care usually cannot be provided at the same as curative or aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, blood transfusions, which are given for the treatment of the terminal diagnosis. An exception may be that chemo/radiation may be given for palliation, relief of pain. Patients in hospice elect DNR status.
Palliative care occurs simultaneously with aggressive or curative treatments, often managing symptoms that these therapies cause.
Another clarification to differentiate palliative care vs hospice care:
Hospice:
Focus is on pain and symptoms management
Terminal diagnosis with life expectancy < six months
Not seeking curative treatment
For Both hospice and palliative care, the focus is on the quality of life of the patient and addressing any adjustment to illness or end-of-life issues.
Palliative Care:
The focus is on pain and symptoms management
The patient does not have to be terminal
May still be seeking aggressive treatment
Tracey Collins, PT, PhD, MBA, GCS
Dr. Collins received her BS in physical therapy from the University of Scranton in 1989, an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1997, and her Ph.D. in Health Administration from Walden University in 2006. Dr. Collins has 33 years of experience as a PT, 26 years of experience in home health, and has been a Board-Certified Specialist in Geriatric PT since 1998. She has 20 years of academic teaching experience and is the Research Chair for APTA Home Health.
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