Although hospice and palliative care overlap in their goals of reducing suffering and providing comfort, the main difference is hospice care is typically for patients who are terminal, or within six months of death, and palliative medicine can be received at any time, whether terminal or not.
Individuals in hospice have chosen to end curative or aggressive treatment, and focus on comfort measures and the dying process. Palliative care patients are often in the midst of active treatment, but need care for distressing side effects from treatment or disease. Sometimes a referral to palliative care can cause fear in patients and their families because of misconceptions regarding the term. Read more.