It’s important to understand the differences between Palliative Home Care and Hospice Home Care. This way, you know what to expect if these types of care is offered to your loved one. Though it may be upsetting to entertain long-term care options, these services can greatly improve your loved one’s quality of life. They can also provide you and your family with the emotional and spiritual support you deserve.
Let’s explain the key differences between Palliative Home Care and Hospice Home Care so that you can make informed decisions for your loved one.
Palliative Home Care
Palliative Home Care can be offered at any stage of any illness. Even if your loved one is expected to make a full recovery, they can receive Palliative Home Care. This type of care can also be used in conjunction with curative treatments.
The purpose of Palliative Home Care is to help you, your loved one and your family cope with the symptoms of the illness and the side effects from the treatments. By relieving some of these effects, patients can better tolerate the treatments and have a more comfortable and successful recovery.
Hospice Home Care
Hospice Home Care is offered to patients who are not expected to live past 6 months. However, hospice is not a death sentence. Patients can live longer, they are just sick enough that death is a possibility.
The purpose of hospice is to make your loved one as comfortable as possible as they near the end of life. Hospice incorporates both spiritual and emotional support for family members and patients. It is generally not used with curative treatments.
Improving Quality of Life
Whether your loved one is being offered palliative or Hospice Home Care, don’t be afraid to accept it. Both types of care is designed to relieve pain, stress and other symptoms while improving quality of life. Additionally, family members can benefit from palliative or Hospice Home Care because there is built-in support for families.
Some of the symptoms that Palliative Home Care is successful at relieving include:
- Pain
- Depression
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of appetite
- Trouble sleeping
Hospice Home Care will address all symptoms that your loved one is experiencing, though pain control is the central goal.
The illnesses that Palliative Home Care is most widely used for include:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Kidney failure
- Cancer
- Severe arthritis
If your loved one is chronically ill, talk to your loved one’s doctors about which route of care is best. Be sure to welcome the emotional support that is available for your healing as well.