Palliative Care vs. Hospice: Understanding the Difference

When someone you love is living with a serious illness, words like palliative care and hospice can feel frightening.

Sometimes families hear either term and immediately think, “They’re giving up.”

But that isn’t what these types of care are about.

Both palliative care and hospice care focus on comfort, symptom management, quality of life, communication, and support for patients and families. The important difference is when these services are appropriate and what other treatment may continue at the same time.

Understanding that difference before your family is facing a crisis can make difficult decisions a little less overwhelming.