Palliative Care
Is Palliative Care the Same as Hospice Care?
No, palliative care is not the same as hospice care. But hospice care is a type of palliative care. The goal of hospice care is to keep you as comfortable as possible when treatment is not expected to cure the cancer.
Palliative care is care provided to improve quality of life for cancer patients and their families. Palliative care works to facilitate communication among patients, families and providers while assisting with decision-making and establishing goals of care to include, emotional, spiritual and practical needs of both patient and family.
Palliative care is a holistic approach to address symptom assessment and management that may include pain, shortness of breath, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, constipation, difficultly sleeping, and loss of appetite.
The information below shows when you might receive palliative care and hospice care.
Palliative Care relieves suffering from symptoms and stress.
The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and provide the best possible quality of life for patients and their families.
Who can receive Palliative Care?
Your cancer doctor and your healthcare team will begin palliative care at the time of your cancer diagnosis and continue through treatment, after treatment, and end of life.
Palliative care does not replace your cancer treatment. You will continue to follow care with your physician and healthcare team while receiving palliative care. If there comes a time when further treatment is not warranted, then palliative care may become the focus to alleviate any symptoms and emotional distress from cancer.
For more information on Hospice Care, click here.
Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia
Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia (CHHC) is an inclusive, non-denominational, end-of-life home dedicated to providing round-the-clock comfort and support to dying individuals and their loved ones. End-of-life homes (also known as comfort care homes, homes for the dying, and social model hospice homes) are staffed by trained, paid staff members and community volunteers that provide 24-hour care to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their guests.
