Palliative Care – Palliative Care vs Hospice Care

Transcript

Hospice care refers to care that is offered for those who are closer to the end of their lives. Some other terms used to describe hospice care are comfort care or end of life care. If we think of palliative care as a continuum, the model of care that offers support from the beginning through the end of a serious illness journey, then hospice is the very last part on that continuum.

In summary, hospice is a specialized level of care covered by insurance. It’s also available for free to those who are uninsured or underinsured. It is available to those approaching the end of their lives, who have an estimated prognosis of six months or less. We hope access to hospice will soon change and will be made available earlier, not only for the last six months of life. This way more people can benefit from the care they deserve. The World Health Organization established that end of life care is a human right, and everyone should be able to have access to care that alleviates suffering and preserves their dignity, regardless of their geographical location, race, ethnicity, immigration status level of education and financial resources.