When you or someone you love is diagnosed with a serious or life-limiting illness, it’s important to know what your care options are. For most people, the first step is finding out what curative or life-prolonging treatments are available. Once a patient starts treatment, it’s not uncommon to experience adverse side effects, emotional distress, financial concerns, and other challenges that affect a person’s quality of life.
Palliative and hospice care share a philosophy focused on comfort and quality of life. Both specialties take a holistic, interdisciplinary team approach to address the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients and their loved ones. Patients receive pain and symptom management, emotional and/or spiritual support, care coordination, and help navigating community resources.
While palliative and hospice care are similar in many ways, there are five key differences that are important to understand:
1. Timing of Care
Palliative care is for anyone facing a serious illness, at any stage in their disease progression. Patients can receive palliative care at the same time they are undergoing curative or life-prolonging treatment.
Hospice care is for patients in the last stages of life. A person becomes eligible for hospice when two physicians agree their prognosis is six months or less if the disease takes its natural course. Once treatment options are no longer available, effective, or desired, hospice care focuses on maximizing comfort, dignity, and quality of life.
2. Location of Care
Palliative care providers often meet with the patient in a hospital or specialty clinic. Hospice care is provided wherever the patient calls home.
3. Who Provides Care
In palliative care, patients meet directly with the palliative care provider, usually a physician or nurse practitioner. They focus primarily on relieving symptoms and side effects. Patients may also be referred to a social worker or chaplain for further support as needed.
Once a patient enrolls in hospice care, they have a dedicated care team that includes a board-certified physician, registered nurse, social worker, spiritual counselor, and hospice aide. Patients may also receive volunteer support or integrative services such as massage therapy or therapeutic music.
4. Paying for Care
Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans cover palliative care and hospice care. However, it’s important to note that:
- Palliative care is billed as a specialist visit under Medicare Part B, which is subject to copays/coinsurance.
- Hospice care is covered 100% under the Medicare Hospice Benefit (Part A). Coverage includes all care team visits, as well as durable medical equipment, supplies, and medications related to the patient’s primary diagnosis.
5. Frequency and Duration of Care
With palliative care, the number and frequency of visits vary greatly. It can be a one-time visit, or care can continue for months or years, depending on the patient’s needs and goals.
Hospice patients receive routine visits from their care team, usually 1-2 times a week. Patients and loved ones can also call Hospice of the Northwest any time, day or night, to speak with a nurse or counselor on call.
While hospice is intended for the last six months of life, patients can remain on hospice service as long as they need to, provided they meet Medicare’s eligibility requirements.
We’re Here When You Need Us
At Hospice of the Northwest, we understand that comfort and quality of life matter at every stage of life. If you or someone you know is facing a life-limiting illness, we encourage you to look into hospice care early—don’t wait until the last days and weeks of life.
Early hospice enrollment offers many benefits for patients and their families. Let our team take care of your needs, so you can focus on what matters most: living each day to the fullest, in comfort and dignity.
If you have questions or would like more information, we encourage you to give us a call at 360-814-5550.