Final answer:
Hospice care is tailored for terminally ill patients to provide comfort at the end of life, while palliative care is broader, aimed at improving quality of life alongside medical treatment at any stage of illness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major differences between hospice care and palliative care mainly concern the patient's stage of illness and the goals of care. Hospice care is specifically designed for patients in the terminal phase of an illness, where life expectancy is usually six months or less, and the focus is on comfort rather than cure. It prioritizes quality of life, symptom management, and emotional support for both the patient and their family, often provided at home or in a hospice setting. Conversely, palliative care can be provided at any stage during a serious illness and is not limited to those at the end of life. It seeks to improve quality of life through pain and symptom management alongside curative treatments.
Research shows that hospice care is beneficial not only for patients, who can remain at home and report high levels of satisfaction, but also for their families, who receive emotional support and experience reduced caregiver burden (Brumley et al., 2007; Godkin et al., 1984). Furthermore, hospice patients have been found to live longer than non-hospice patients (Connor et al., 2007). Hospice care has evolved in society's changing perception of death, focusing on aiding patients to pass with dignity and comfort, which aligns with the historical shift initiated by the establishment of the modern hospice movement in the 1960s.