Learning that a loved one in Salt Lake City has a serious illness is undeniably distressing. It’s only natural to want to ease their suffering – but is hospice care or palliative care the right solution?
If you’re not sure, you’re certainly not alone. Many people find the distinction between the two services to be unclear, as hospice and palliative care share some similarities. However, to help your loved one at this difficult time, you need to understand the fundamental differences. Below, the professional team at Suncrest Hospice of Salt Lake City offers an explanation.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care is a specialized approach to healthcare that combines medical expertise with emotional, social and spiritual support. Services are designed to ensure comfort and an improved quality of life, and patients in hospice can receive the care they need at their own homes or wherever they currently reside. In most cases, hospice is paid for as a benefit of Medicare, but coverage is also available through the Utah Medicaid program and through private insurance.
Is your loved one ready for hospice care? Being diagnosed with a serious illness isn’t enough to qualify – the illness must be terminal and the prognosis, or the length of time they’re expected to survive, must be six months or less. In addition, to be eligible for hospice, the individual must be ready to accept comfort care rather than continuing with curative treatment. If your loved one meets all of these conditions, arranging for hospice care may be the right choice. If not, palliative services may be worth consideration.
What is Palliative Care?
Like hospice care, palliative care provides medical, emotional, social and spiritual support, with services focused on quality of life. Patients can receive this form of care in various settings, including their own Salt Lake City homes, and it can begin at the diagnosis of a serious illness. Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance policies cover at least a portion of the costs, but patients may have copayments for certain services.
Could your loved one benefit from palliative care? Perhaps, as the resource is for anyone who is living with a serious illness – unlike hospice, a terminal diagnosis and limited lifespan aren’t necessary. Also, support can be provided alongside curative treatment. Typically, though, palliative services are only recommended when additional support is needed, once the illness reaches an advanced stage. If your loved one is at this point, this may be the right option, but hospice care could also be beneficial.
Key Differences Between Hospice Care and Palliative Care
While hospice care and palliative care are quite similar in nature, there are several key distinctions between the two services. Understand how they measure up, and you’ll be able to help your loved one make well-informed decisions regarding their healthcare journey. The main differences are in the following:
Scope of Care
Hospice is specifically intended for terminally ill individuals who are expected to live for six months or less, and services are focused on end-of-life comfort and support. In comparison, palliative support is an option at any stage of an illness, regardless of the patient’s life expectancy, and care can be integrated with curative treatment.
Timing of Care
Patients generally choose hospice care when curative treatments have proven ineffective and they’re ready to trade stress and disagreeable symptoms for comfort and a better quality of life. With palliative support, however, there’s no tradeoff – services to improve well-being can be provided while the individual continues the search for a cure.
Availability of Care
To be eligible for hospice care in Salt Lake City, a patient must be terminally ill, with a projected lifespan of six months or less, and they must be willing to forgo any further curative treatment. Those aren’t requirements for palliative services, as anyone with a serious illness at any stage can arrange for support, no matter their life expectancy.
Suncrest Hospice of Chicago is a Leader in End-of-Life Care
When you’re looking into healthcare services for a loved one in need, speaking with an expert is immensely helpful – and the professional team at Suncrest Hospice of Salt Lake City is ready to provide the information you need.
At Suncrest, we’re dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive support tailored to the unique needs of the patient. We have extensive experience caring for terminally ill individuals, and we’re there to support families, too. You and your loved one have some hard decisions to make, and having people who understand what you’re going through is immensely beneficial. That’s what you’ll find with Suncrest, and our hospice care specialists are always happy to offer answers, guidance and advice.
Whether your loved one is likely to accept palliative services, or you think they might be more interested in the benefits of hospice, a conversation about end-of-life care is something that should happen soon. By planning ahead, you can help ensure that the person you hold dear gets the right type of support at the right time. And if you’d like, a member of the Suncrest team can come out to assist with this potentially difficult discussion. For more information on palliative care and hospice care in Salt Lake City, Utah, contact us today.
