Palliative care vs hospice: What’s the difference?

Receiving a diagnosis of a serious illness like cancer or heart failure can be overwhelming, often bringing fear, uncertainty, and a sense of hopelessness. Many patients and their loved ones worry about what lies ahead, and what care options are available. A common misconception is that palliative care signals the end of life or that a doctor has given up, but palliative care is a specialized approach that can begin at any stage of a serious illness. Its goal is to relieve symptoms, ease stress, and enhance quality of life while patients continue to pursue treatments aimed at a cure. Treatment supports comfort and well-being, regardless of the prognosis.

Hospice care, on the other hand, is for patients who are in the last months of their lives, typically with six months or less to live. Hospice care concentrates on providing patient comfort, relieving their pain, and offering emotional, spiritual, and social support, without trying to cure their illness.

On this page:

• What is palliative care? 
• What is hospice care? 
• Difference between palliative care and hospice 
• Understanding Carelon’s palliative care services 
  

 

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a type of treatment that focuses on helping patients with serious illnesses feel better. The care aims to ease patient symptoms and reduce stress, no matter how advanced the illness or how old the patient is. Palliative treatment gives patients physical and emotional support, manages pain, and offers psychological and social help, all while combining with treatments aimed at curing the illness. Palliative care also provides patients’ families with emotional and psychological support.

Patients with serious diseases can benefit from palliative care, which they can start as soon as they are diagnosed. Palliative care continues alongside other treatments to help improve patients’ quality of life.

 

Is palliative care end of life care?

Palliative care is not end of life care . Palliative care is for anyone with a serious illness, and it focuses on helping patients feel better by controlling symptoms like pain or discomfort and providing support while they continue other treatments. Care can start at any time after patient diagnosis and can be given along with treatments meant to cure.

Unlike end-of-life care, which is for when someone is nearing the end of their life, palliative care is for anyone at any stage of their illness to help improve their quality of life. Palliative care is about helping people live as well as possible, no matter how long they have been sick.

 

Types of palliative care

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Social
   

Where palliative care is offered

• Patient’s own home
• Virtually (telehealth)
  
  

The palliative care team

Palliative care involves a diverse team of medical and support staff . The key doctors and specialists listed below work together to make sure they take care of every part of a patient's well-being. They offer comprehensive support tailored to each person’s needs and preferences.

• Palliative care physicians
• Nurses and nurse practitioners
• 24/7 clinician triage team
• Social workers
• National patient engagement team

Please visit our care team page for more detailed information on Carelon’s palliative care team.

 

When should someone be offered palliative care?

• Conditions that can benefit from palliative care include:
  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Kidney failure
  • Neurological disorders
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Advanced liver disease
     
• Considerations for patients and caregivers:
  • Goals of care
  • Quality of life
  • Communication
  • Support needs
  • Location of care
  • Financial implications
  • Family and caregiver role

By reviewing all the options, patients and caregivers can make well-informed choices about adding palliative care to their treatment plans. They can then match medical support with their personal needs and preferences.
 

 

What is hospice care?

Hospice care is a special type of treatment that aims to provide patients comfort and support in their last months of life. Care focuses on providing comfort instead of trying to cure the illness. Administered in various settings like a patient’s home or a care facility, hospice care involves a compassionate team that offers pain management, emotional support, and spiritual counseling. This complete approach also helps family members and caregivers by guiding them through the emotional and practical challenges of end-of-life care.
 

When should someone be offered hospice care?

The below points can help patients and their families make smart decisions about hospice care, making sure that patients get caring and personalized treatment that matches their wishes.

Conditions for which hospice care is a good fit include:

• Diagnosis of a terminal illness
• Decision to discontinue curative treatment
• Rapid decline in health
• Frequent hospitalizations
• Significant physical and cognitive decline
• Increased need for palliative symptom management 
   

 

Difference between palliative care and hospice

Palliative and hospice care both offer specialized medical support, but they differ in scope and timing. Since 2006, hospice and palliative medicine has been a board-certified subspecialty across nine medical fields, requiring an extra year of fellowship after residency.
 

Key Differences

While 100% of hospice care is palliative care, not all palliative care is hospice care.

• Palliative care focuses on relieving suffering at any stage of serious illness, regardless of prognosis. It includes:
  • Coordinating fragmented care
  • Clarifying complex conditions
  • Managing symptoms
  • Helping patients and caregivers plan care
     
• Hospice care is a type of palliative care provided at the end of life. It includes:
  • A care philosophy prioritizing comfort over cure; patients stop curative treatments like chemotherapy
  • A Medicare benefit for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less (though patients may live longer)

When patients and their families understand the differences between treatment options, they can choose the support that best fits their needs.

 

Palliative care

• Eligibility - available at any stage of a serious illness
• Basic goals – to improve quality of life
• Duration - at any point during the illness
• When care can be received - integrated with curative or life-prolonging treatments
• Focus of care - symptom management, advanced care planning, and coordination of care
• When it’s given - initial stages of illness through advanced stages
• Conditions that may warrant care
   

Hospice care

• Eligibility - for patients with a terminal illness, in the last 6 months of life
• Basic goals - to provide comfort care
• Duration - until the end of life
• When it can be received - when curative treatments are no longer helpful
• Focus of care - alleviating symptoms like pain and supporting families
• When it’s given - during the final six months of life
• Conditions that may warrant care, such as end stage organ failure and advanced cancer

 

Understanding Carelon's palliative care services

A devastating healthcare diagnosis or chronic illness doesn't have to leave patients and their loved ones fearing the future. Palliative care from Carelon empowers patients to take charge of their healthcare journey both right away and for what may lie ahead. Better patient care can begin today with an open conversation about the benefits of palliative care.

Our physician-led team develops individualized care plans addressing patient physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We offer counseling and support to help navigate emotional challenges, with a diverse team collaborating to deliver coordinated care.

Please visit our what to expect page for detailed information about our services and care processes. We offer compassionate support tailored to your needs during serious illness. Call us at 844-232-0500 to discuss your referral and start your palliative care journey.
 

What caregivers need to know

Carelon appreciates the important role caregivers play by providing guidance, emotional support, practical help, counseling, and access to support groups. These services help caregivers handle their responsibilities and cope with emotional challenges.

To understand more, please visit our page on what caregivers can expect. We are committed to partnering with you to provide compassionate care that respects the needs and wishes of your loved one.

 

Learn more about palliative care from Carelon

For more detailed information about Carelon's palliative care services, including our approach and how we support patients and their families, visit our palliative care patients page. Whether you're a patient or a caregiver, our resources are here to help you navigate your palliative care journey with confidence and support.