What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Patients in palliative care may receive medical care for their symptoms, or palliative care, along with treatment intended to cure their serious illness. Palliative care is meant to enhance a person’s current care by focusing on quality of life for them and their family. Palliative care is a resource for anyone living with a serious illness, such as cancer. Palliative care can be helpful at any stage of illness and is best provided soon after a person is diagnosed.

In addition to improving quality of life and helping with symptoms, palliative care can help patients understand their choices for medical treatment.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is designed to provide support to patients and caregivers who are facing a life-limiting illness, such as advanced cancer. The main philosophy of hospice is to ensure that patients live in ways that are most valuable and meaningful for them. Hospice care has been shown to improve quality of life for patients at the end of life. Medical oncology practices have partnered with hospices from across Michigan with the goal of increasing enrollment to hospice care, benefitting from hospice earlier, and staying on hospice longer. Several projects have been identified for implementation in each MOQC region under this initiative, with support from the MOQC Coordinating Center.