Palliative care and Hospice care

Palliative care and Hospice care

Palliative Care and Hospice Care are specialized forms of medical support designed to improve the quality of life for individuals facing serious, life-limiting, or terminal illnesses. These care approaches focus not on curing illness, but on comfort, dignity, and support — for both the patient and their family.

Although they share similar goals, palliative care and hospice care differ in timing, scope, and eligibility.

Palliative care is a type of supportive medical care for people living with serious or chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart failure, COPD, or advanced kidney disease. It can be provided at any stage of illness, alongside curative treatments.

Hospice care is a type of palliative care provided to individuals who are in the final stages of a terminal illness, typically when life expectancy is six months or less, and curative treatments have been stopped.

Key features of hospice care:

• Prioritizes comfort over cure
• Provides pain and symptom management
• Offers 24/7 support to patients