Healthcare can be complex, especially when it comes to end-of-life support. If you’re exploring care options for a loved one with a serious illness, you may encounter the terms “palliative care” or “hospice.” While these medical approaches share a common goal, prioritizing comfort and quality of life for patients with serious illnesses, they are not the same. In this post, the experts at Summit Home Care & Hospice will teach you the differences between these two medical approaches so that your family can make an informed decision and ensure your loved ones receive the right level of care.
Summit Home Care & Hospice is the premier in-home caretaker in Ohio and Indiana, specializing in compassionate, personalized support for patients and families facing serious illnesses. Our highly trained interdisciplinary team works closely with your physician to create individualized care plans that prioritize comfort, dignity, and quality of life. Whether you need expert palliative care to manage symptoms alongside ongoing treatment or comprehensive hospice services when curative options have ended, Summit Home Care & Hospice delivers concierge-level attention right in your home.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a broad medical approach focused on relieving pain, managing symptoms, and reducing stress for people with serious illnesses, regardless of diagnosis or stage. This medical care involves any treatment or intervention intended to improve quality of life. Key features include:
- Comprehensive symptom management (pain, nausea, breathlessness)
- Coordination with primary medical teams
- Emotional, spiritual, and social support for patients and families
- Assistance with decision-making and care planning
Summit Home Care & Hospice is here to help you or your loved one experience the benefits of palliative care at home. By addressing physical discomfort and non-medical needs, our palliative care teams help improve patients’ quality of life and help them maintain dignity throughout treatment. This type of care is not limited to end-of-life; it can begin as early as diagnosis and continue throughout curative treatment.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care is a type of palliative care that provides comprehensive, comfort-focused care for patients who have around six months or less to live, as certified by a physician. During hospice care, the goal is not to cure the illness but to ensure the patient can live as fully and comfortably as possible in their remaining time. Services typically include:
- Skilled nursing and personal care
- Social work and bereavement counseling
- Spiritual care and emotional support
- Medical supplies and medications related to the terminal diagnosis
Summit Home Care & Hospice offers compassionate services during your family member’s last moments. Our highly trained hospice team, consisting of nurses, social workers, and a dedicated medical director, ensures round-the-clock support within the comfort of your home. Our team also supports family caregivers with respite care and bereavement counseling, helping them find peace and comfort during this difficult time.
Reach out to Summit Home Care & Hospice to learn how our hospice team can support your family during this difficult time. Call us at 614-866-8158 or visit our website to get started.
Hospice vs. Palliative Care: Key Differences
While hospice care falls under the broad umbrella of palliative care, there are important differences between them. Here are some key distinctions:
- Timing & Eligibility: Palliative care can be introduced at any point during a serious illness, from diagnosis onward, and has no specific time limit. Hospice care is reserved for when a patient is in the final months of their life and has chosen to forgo curative treatments.
- Treatment Goals: During palliative care, patients will continue to receive disease-directed treatments, such as chemotherapy, while receiving pain relief and support. In hospice care, curative treatments are stopped, and the focus shifts entirely to comfort care and symptom management rather than trying to cure the illness to maximize the remaining time the patient has left.
- Services & Support: Both hospice and palliative care involve a multidisciplinary team addressing not only physical symptoms, but also emotional and spiritual needs of patients and families. However, hospice programs offer more support. Hospice care often covers medical equipment and medications related to the terminal illness, provides home health aide visits, and offers services like spiritual counseling and family bereavement support.
- Coverage: Hospice care is usually covered under Medicare and Medicaid, and is available through most private insurance, meaning patients pay little to nothing for comprehensive end-of-life services. Palliative care is covered by standard medical insurance, but there is no dedicated “palliative care benefit” for Medicare or Medicaid. This means that patients relying on Medicare or Medicaid may be subject to co-pays or fees depending on their insurance plan.
Recover in Comfort with Summit Home Care & Hospice
Summit Home Care & Hospice is the premier in-home caretaker in Ohio and Indiana, delivering expert palliative care and compassionate hospice services tailored to your family’s needs. Our interdisciplinary team, made up of skilled nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers, and aides, ensures seamless coordination with your physician and unwavering support at every stage. With 24/7 availability, personalized care plans, and a commitment to dignity and comfort, Summit Home Care & Hospice stands ready to help your loved one live as fully and comfortably as possible in the place they call home.
Partner with Summit Home Care & Hospice today to experience the gold standard of in-home care. Visit our website or call us at 614-866-8158 to schedule a free consultation.