As caregivers, educators, and advocates, we must understand the differences between palliative care and hospice care so that we can ensure that patients and families are getting appropriate care and services at the appropriate times.

Both palliative care and hospice care require an interdisciplinary approach, with a focus on relieving pain and managing physical and psychological symptoms, while improving quality of life. What differs is that palliative care should begin at the time of diagnosis, when possible, and can be offered at the same time as curative treatments. Hospice care is appropriate for those with a prognosis of six months or less and excludes concurrent curative treatment.

Listen in as Dr. Anne Woods and Lisa Bonsall go more in-depth on the differences and similarities between the two, and why it’s so important for nurses to be part of related conversations with patients, families, and the interdisciplinary team.