Palliative and hospice care are truly whole-person care, providing vital services above and beyond medical care when you or your loved ones are facing a serious illness. That’s why these services are built into our CalPERS health plans.
Similar But Different
There are two main differences between palliative and hospice care:
- Participants — While palliative care is for anyone at any stage of serious illness, hospice care is specifically for people who doctors believe only have a short time to live (typically less than six months).
- Treatments — Palliative care pairs curative treatments with additional wraparound services to relieve the symptoms and stress that arise from serious illnesses. Hospice — which can be considered a type of palliative care — prioritizes a person’s comfort and quality of life when curative treatments are no longer helpful or wanted.
Despite these differences, these two care models share many elements. Both are:
- Person-centered — Palliative and hospice care use an individualized approach to meet your unique needs and personal priorities.
- Your choice — Using any or none of these services is entirely up to you. You can accept, refuse, start, stop, or even restart all or selected elements of either palliative or hospice care at any time, and can continue to use them as long as you wish.
- Team-focused — An interdisciplinary team of professionals is involved in your palliative or hospice care. Teams typically include doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, therapists, and spiritual counselors. Your loved ones are considered key members of your team and are provided training to assist you, and are also provided resources to support themselves.
- Holistic — Both disciplines focus on providing the best quality of life possible through physical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional services and supports.
- Provided Where You Are — You can receive care at home, in a nursing home or assisted living facility, at a hospital, at an outpatient clinic, or even at a dedicated palliative or hospice center.
Ask Your Health Care Provider for More Information
Palliative and hospice care are life-enhancing services that can make a real difference for yourself and your loved ones. Your health care provider is there to empower you with the facts, options, and insights you need to make decisions aligned with your wishes.
For more information on palliative or hospice services, contact your provider or your health plan. For additional questions, call us at 888 CalPERS (or 888-225-7377).