A: Hospice and palliative care both include interdisciplinary teams that come to the home with the goal of providing comfort, stress reduction, and physical and psychosocial relief.
Palliative Care is under the home health umbrella and strives to palliate a person’s symptoms and disease management while still allowing them to pursue curative measures and diagnostics. It expands beyond the traditional home health program and is available for people who have a terminal illness but are still pursuing treatments.
Hospice Care focuses on relieving symptoms when patients have a terminal illness with a prognosis of 6 months or less to live and are no longer seeking curative treatment. It focuses on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients while also providing support and direction for the family and caregivers. The goal is to help patients have a peaceful and comfortable end-of-life experience.
Speak with the treating physician about the prognosis and desire to explore further care at home. They can help determine if hospice or palliative care is appropriate for your situation. Once a physician determines a patient qualifies for hospice or palliative care, an order will be sent to the company of the patient or family’s choosing. From there, the agency will guide you through the process and coordinate your care.
When I talk to families who are struggling with difficult care and whose loved one is having a hard time getting to the doctor’s office, I often recommend they talk to the doctor about home health care options. I once worked with a 90-year-old man who was caring for his wife at home and struggling to manage her needs. It was both physically and emotionally draining for him. After a weekend when he took her by himself to the emergency room twice, he was ready to ask the doctor about other health care options.
He let me know that he was happy the doctor said he could refer the wife for hospice so that she would receive supportive care at home. But he also felt disappointed that the doctor had not told him sooner that this was an option for care even though he was struggling.
Senior Concerns is providing a seminar over Zoom online to help explain hospice and palliative care. It is called “Palliative Care and Hospice 101” and will be presented by Katie Wiltfong who is a medical social worker. She is the Social Services/Palliative Care Director for Buena Vista Hospice and the co-founder of My Solo Aging Solutions. She will not only explain both palliative care and hospice, but will also discuss the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of end of life care.
To learn more or to register for this online seminar call 805-497-0189 or go to https://www.seniorconcerns.org/programs/seminars
Often, I notice families do not let the doctor know how much they are struggling at home. The doctor may not realize or may be hesitant to bring up palliative care or hospice for fear the family may think the doctor does not want to treat them anymore. It is best to have an open dialogue with the physician and be honest about your needs. It is not appropriate for everyone, but it is always helpful to know what is available to you either now or in the future if you are caring for someone with a serious illness at home.
