The diagnosis of a terminal illness overwhelms a family. Providing comfort care at home gets complex in this case. The families have difficulty navigating whether their loved one needs palliative care or hospice care at home. These services are offered in various locations in Maryland, including home care in Frederick.
This is what we are going to learn in this blog—who needs what? Since the terms palliative care and hospice care are often interchangeable, their usage also gets complex. But this is just a myth.
This blog sheds light on the differences between these two terms and can help your loved ones make an informed decision about their health choices.
To understand the difference between palliative care and hospice, we must first consider the importance of specialized care. When you grow older or are diagnosed with a terminal illness, chances are you need specialized care.
For instance, a senior diagnosed with a chronic illness needs a high level of personal care. So, they can get a caregiver at home to help them accomplish daily tasks. These include bathing, dressing, skin routines, and much more. Specialized senior care is provided to those seniors who are diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, spine injuries, and so on.
What is Specialized Care?
Specialized care is a type of medical care provided to loved ones diagnosed with chronic conditions. These chronic conditions require ongoing treatment, so healthcare professionals have expertise in treating these complex conditions.
The objectives are:
- Improve the quality of life
- Reduce healthcare complications
- Longer life expectancy
So, when it comes to palliative services and hospice at home, these are also kinds of specialized care. It is because both care services aim to provide comfort and support to loved ones at home. However, both palliative care and hospice care have different goals and approaches.
Knowing the difference is essential whether you are looking for chronic illness symptom relief or exploring end-of-life care. Let’s start with the comprehensive difference between palliative care and hospice care.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized care provided to an individual diagnosed with a serious illness. This care is focused on providing relief to loved ones at any stage of the illness. So, a special team of healthcare professionals and other specialists work with the team of the individual’s healthcare professionals. By working together, healthcare professionals provide an extra layer of protection for their loved ones.
Who needs Palliative Care?
Palliative care is provided to loved ones who are diagnosed with a chronic illness. The illness may worsen over time, resulting in a decreasing lifespan.
The wide range of illnesses includes,
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- Kidney Disease
- Neurological disorder
- AIDS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson disease
- Congestive heart failure, and so on
If your loved one is diagnosed with any of these chronic conditions, palliative care offers various benefits and addresses their needs.
For loved ones, palliative care can,
Improve their quality of life
Palliative care enhances the lives of loved ones as the caregivers encourage individuals to be independent. The caregivers help loved ones to do activities that ultimately bring joy to loved ones. By engaging in various activities, they get active, physically and mentally.
Manage pain symptoms
Chronic illness causes severe pain, nausea, or other adverse symptoms. With private palliative services at home, the individual’s pain can be reduced. As a result, the individual gets comfort care right at home with an enhanced sense of well-being.
Provide Emotional Support
Care providers offering palliative care services at home are specially trained to offer emotional support to loved ones. The caregivers provide emotional and psychological support to loved ones diagnosed with serious illnesses.
Navigate the Challenges of Serious Illness
At times, family caregivers have complexities in deciding whether to google, home care agency near me or home health care services. By providing a comprehensive approach, caregivers address the physical, emotional, and mental dimensions of an individual.
Decision-Making Assistance
Palliative care service providers work with various healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about the well-being of loved ones. So, by keeping the goals and values in mind, together, the family, caregivers, and doctors make decisions to meet the complex medical needs of loved ones.
Care Coordination
Since there is proper communication among healthcare professionals, caregivers, and families, there is no communication gap. So, the overall care plan gets enhanced due to integrated healthcare treatment plans.
Preparing for Hospice Care
For those who are in the advanced stage of illness, palliative care aims to provide comfort care to loved ones and help them prepare for hospice care. By discussing care goals, advanced care planning, and loved ones’ wishes, end-of-life choices are always met.
Concluding this,
It is never too late or too early to seek palliative services with the home care agency Frederick. Since palliative can be received at any stage of an illness, from diagnosis to end-of-life care, it helps families and healthcare. Family members get to know how to cope with emotional challenges.
Meanwhile, they can also decide on the family members. So, by getting care for palliative care, one can reduce the risk of unnecessary hospitalization and improve the level of care and comfort right at home.
“Finding Peace with Compassionate Approach to end-of-life Care”
As we have been delving into the ocean of specialized care, let’s go further into the center stage of hospice care. While discussing the holistic care approach of palliative care, we are now shifting slowly toward hospice care services at home. The seamless transition from palliative to hospice extends to providing comfort, dignity, and support at the end.
Let’s explore this transitional shift from pain management symptoms to end-of-life care.
What is Hospice Care?
At the advanced stage of a life-limiting illness, all you can do is give the best care and provide comfort to loved ones. Loved ones who are diagnosed with the advanced stage of a terminal illness have no curative treatment. So, hospice care focuses on treating the symptoms rather than the disease.
On the other hand, hospice care brings respite to the family caregivers. Caregiving is a rewarding experience but can be overwhelming as well. This leads to caregiver burnout and reduces the quality of caregiving.
Who Needs Hospice Care?
People who are in the last stage of terminal illness and have 6 months or less to live are eligible for hospice care. The terminal illness is no longer curative, and the focus is on providing care and comfort at home. So, someone who wishes to forgo curative treatment may also receive hospice services.
Someone diagnosed with specific conditions is eligible for hospice. This includes,
- Advance cancer stage
- COPD
- Heart diseases
- Stroke
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Kidney Failure
- liver damage, and so on.
If your loved one is diagnosed with an advanced stage of a terminal illness that has no curative treatment, you can go for hospice care. Many people are unaware of the goal of hospice care, so in the following section, let’s discuss hospice benefits.
Offering Emotional Assistance
The team of hospice caregivers is trained to provide companionship and emotional support in the final days and also after. So, the support is extended further and helps the family cope with grief and loss with bereavement services.
Improving the Quality of Life
Hospice services mainly focus on enhancing the quality of life in the final days. So, the individual diagnosed with terminal illness spends most of the time engaging in meaningful activities and leveling up the connection with loved ones.
Family Involvement
The importance of family involvement in hospice care cannot be overstated. The caregivers educate and inform the family about the conditions. They use a collaborative approach to ensure that the families and loved ones are getting all the support.
End-of-life Decision Making
It feels overwhelming to make decisions for loved ones diagnosed with a terminal illness. The family members and caregivers, along with healthcare providers, collaborate to make the right decision and keep dignity and respect intact.
Comfort and Dignity
The journey of compassionate care begins with comfort care at home with dignity. So, hospice care providers focus on managing chronic pain and ensuring that the individual is at peace.
Caregiver Respite
Caregiving is a rewarding experience that requires the around-the-clock availability of nearby loved ones. This gives no break to caregivers, making them emotionally and physically vulnerable. Having hospice at home for loved ones gives respite to the family caregivers.
In Conclusion,
Hospice care is a compassionate and comprehensive approach to loved ones’ end-of-life care. Hospice focuses on comfort care, dignity, and emotional and bereavement support for loved ones and their families. Both specialized forms of care create an environment where everyone finds peace and warmth.
Differences between Palliative Care and Hospice Care
| Difference | Palliative Care | Hospice Care |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | Improving the quality of life for people diagnosed with serious illness | Comfort care to loved ones diagnosed with terminal illness |
| When do you need it? | Can be provided at any stage | 6 months or less life expectancy |
| Focus on | This may include curative treatment and pain management | Symptom management and comfort care |
| Where do you get the treatment? | At hospitals, nursing homes, or homes | Usually at homes |
The above table focuses on the basic differences between the two forms of specialized care. Knowing the difference between palliative care and hospice helps you make the right decision for your loved ones.
So, let’s explore the compassionate journey of palliative care and hospice at home. Discover the benefits of these specialized forms of care with personalized support, comfort, and dignity at every stage.
Let’s heal together!
If you have been looking for palliative services and hospice care assistance in Silver Spring, Frederick County, MD, contact Comfikare Homecare. The trained staff offers 24/7 homecare services in Frederick, bringing respite to the families.
So, book your caregiver now!