Not all Palliative Care programs are the same. Heart of Hospice Comfort Care includes the following services on an outpatient basis:
- Treatment to relieve pain and other symptoms
- Patient and family counseling
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Help in planning for care after the hospital stay
- Help with treatment choices and decisions
- Support for the families and caregivers as well as the patient
- Bereavement counseling
All Hospice Care is Palliative Care, but not all Palliative Care is Hospice Care.
Palliative Care can begin as soon as a patient is diagnosed with a serious illness and can be provided at the same time as curative or life prolonging treatment. Hospice Care focuses on the unique needs of terminally ill patients.