On palliative care and hospice care.

In the past couple of years health care professionals have really begun making an effort to distinguish the difference between palliative care and hospice care. Many have understood that the terms were interchangeable and were referring to the same type of care. I thought that for years until my mom's hospitalization last year resulting in her passing. In a nutshell you do not have to be dying to receive palliative care. Anyone with a life threatening condition will receive palliative care. Life threatening conditions,  like patients on a hospital ICU, receive palliative care as a part of an interdisciplinary treatment team. Palliative care is not curative meaning it will not save your life. The aim of palliative care is to alleviate any pain or discomfort. Hospice care is strictly palliative care. Hospice is a style of caring, focusing solely on the patient's comfort now that all curative treatment approaches have ceased. There are in-home palliative care services just like there are in-home hospice services. A person can receive palliative care for decades before eventually transferring to hospice care if they accept it. Medical terminology has been undergoing changes and it is helpful to stay in the know as much as possible.