Differences Between Hospice and Palliative Care. They may seem similar in terms of their philosophy, but these two are quite different in many ways. This article will bring clarity to such confusion. Terms palliative and hospice care are often mentioned together, which lets people think that it’s about two identical concepts. Palliative care is intended to help improve the quality of life for patients diagnosed with serious illnesses by helping them treat pain and other symptoms. However, we shouldn’t use them interchangeably because they’re different, after all. Common Differences Between Palliative and Hospice Care. Like palliative care, hospice provides comprehensive comfort care as well as support for the family, but, in hospice, attempts to cure the person's illness are stopped. 1. Hospice is provided for a person with a terminal illness whose doctor believes he or she has 6 months … When you or a loved one receive a diagnosis of a serious or life-threatening illness, you may find yourself lost in the maze of information you receive from your medical team. Palliative care can start at any stage of an illness. For example, patients with pancreatitis may need palliative care in order to control their pain symptoms but do not qualify for hospice since pancreatitis is not terminal. The terms Palliative Care and Hospice Care will probably be mentioned as you look at treatment options. The first major difference between palliative care and hospice is that the former is often provided at a medical facility while the latter is offered at a home. The most important differences between palliative care vs. hospice care are: Start Time. Therefore, they may not qualify for hospice. Hospice care begins in the later stages of illness, when the person is expected to live about six months. Despite all these similarities there is a huge difference between palliative care and hospice. The objective of both palliative and hospice care is to improve the quality of life for a patient by offering comfort, dignity, respect and providing much-needed support to … Palliative Care vs Hospice: Similarities and Differences. The differences are quite practical and some are technical. Palliative care patients can still receive treatments to cure illness. The illness does not have to be life-threatening. Palliative care is for people at any stage in their illness. Although palliative care and hospice care share several important similarities, there are also important distinctions between the two. Their goal is managing pain and other … For most people there is no difference between palliative care and hospice care, especially to those who are not in the healthcare field. This is why knowing the difference between palliative and hospice care and understanding which meets your loved one’s preferences is useful. Therefore, when discussing goals with patients, it is vital to understand the difference between … Hospice patients are not seeking a cure for their illness. What is the difference between palliative care and hospice care?