What is palliative care and how is it different from hospice care?

By, Hyunjin Noh, PhD, MSW

​Watching a loved one struggling with difficult pain can be a traumatic experience for caregivers and can have a negative impact on their mental health. Many caregivers are unaware about palliative care and how it can help them and their loved one. However, palliative care may be a health care option that benefits your loved one, you, and your family.

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What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a special type of care for patients with chronic or serious illnesses, such as dementia, cancer, and kidney disease. The goal of these services are not to cure illness. Instead, it focuses on improving quality of life by preventing and managing pain and suffering. Palliative care supports the whole person, not just the illness. For instance, it helps with:

• physical health,
• psychological health,
• emotional health, and
• spiritual well-being.

To address all of these needs, palliative care is often provided by a team that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains.

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