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Palliative Care VS Hospice
Nowadays, healthcare can cure many serious diseases. Nevertheless, even with its high level, some chronic illnesses are still stronger. In any situation, however, doctors help the patient with as much as they can: relieve pain, provide psychological support, and somewhat improve the well-being of a patient.
Usually, in severe cases, one of the two types of treatment can be assigned: hospice care vs. palliative care. Even though there is no clear line of difference between palliative and hospice care for seriously ill patients, some distinctions between them exist.
All American Home Care Agency provides home palliative care and makes sure that a person with a severe diagnosis has an opportunity to spend time in an environment full of love. We constantly monitor the health state, provide communication and support for the patient and his family members. Need more information? Contact us; we are available 24/7!
Numerous studies show that competent palliative and hospice care prolongs the life of patients and alleviates the course of serious illnesses. Both of these medical care types aim to make the life of each patient as fully as possible. It is essential since every person deserves to be happy regardless of the diagnosis and progression of a disease. But what is the difference between palliative care and hospice?
The Difference Between Palliative Care and Hospice Care
The core of the definition of palliative care vs. hospice care matches partially, as both seek to improve the patient’s quality of life as much as possible. However, the difference is in the stage of the illness they treat. Palliative care involves active therapy that can last a long time, sometimes for many years. Hospice care is typically a solution for cancer patients whose life expectancy is six months or less.
Many diseases run a severe course but do not imply the patient’s immediate mortality. Examples of such states are the consequences of strokes, heart attacks, and neurodegenerative diseases. Palliative care treats precisely such cases.
During hospice treatment, the patient receives care, anesthesia, and relief of painful symptoms. The distinctive difference of hospice care vs. palliative care is for a terminally ill patient to spend the last months of his life in comfort, without torment.
Hospice Care
Hospice is a medical and social institution that provides palliative care for terminally ill patients (mainly oncological) in the last stages of their disease.
In simple terms, patients are referred to the hospice if:
- they need to find the right painkiller regimen
- it is impossible to cope with painful symptoms at home
- they do not have relatives who can look after them
- their relatives need a social reprieve
Home Palliative Care
It is possible to organize palliative care for patients at home. The basis of home care should be the continuity of hospital treatment, including pain management, care, and psychological support. In this case, the medical quality of hospice care vs. palliative care should maintain a high level. Our team of specialists believes in a complex approach and provides interdisciplinary solutions:
- Pain relief. For this, symptomatic therapy is performed to relieve pain attacks caused by the disease. Most often, pain appears in the late stages of the disease, aggravating the life of the patient. For effective relief of pain, it is necessary to accurately assess its nature, create a medical strategy, and provide proper patient care. Our specialists in palliative medicine will ensure the correct treatment to the patient and create the right regimen for each day.
- Psychological support. Both the patient himself and his family, having first encountered a diagnosis, experience severe stress, ranging from complete denial of the disease to the development of deep depression. Illness, hospitalization, operations, lifestyle changes, possible disability, and fear of death affect the psychological state of the patient. Relatives usually cannot support the patient enough, since they are also experiencing stress. The difference between palliative care and hospice care is that in the first case, the patient and his relatives receive help from psychologists without leaving home.
- Social support. Difficulties caused by the costs of care and treatment often aggravate psychological problems. Many patients have financial problems, some need improvement to their living conditions, but very few are aware of the social benefits available to them. Therefore, palliative care includes social support for the patient’s family and himself.
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