Palliative Care at Hoffmann Hospice for Bakersfield & Kern County

Palliative Care

Palliative Care focuses on improving the quality of life for patients facing serious illness by addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care: Understanding the Differences

Explore the essential distinctions between Palliative Care and Hospice Care. Hover over each section to learn more about how these services can support you and your loved ones during serious illness.

Palliative Care

Palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness, focusing on relief from symptoms and stress to improve quality of life.

Goal: To improve the quality of life for patients at any stage of a serious illness by managing symptoms and providing emotional and spiritual support.
Duration: Can be received alongside curative treatment and can begin at diagnosis.
Location: Available in hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient palliative care clinics, and at home.
Eligibility: Available to patients at any stage of a serious illness, including those undergoing treatment.

Hospice Care

Hospice care is for patients nearing the end of life, emphasizing comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatments.

Goal: To provide comfort and quality of life for patients in the final stages of a terminal illness, focusing on symptom management and emotional support rather than curative treatment.
Duration: Begins when curative treatment is no longer effective and life expectancy is six months or less.
Location: Provided in the patient's home, hospice centers, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Eligibility: Reserved for patients who are no longer receiving curative treatment and are expected to live six months or less.

Who Needs Palliative Care?

About half of all Americans live with at least one chronic illness, and that number is projected to increase more than one percent per year by 2030. Palliative Care is specialized medical care that is applicable early in the course of illness in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to cure an illness or prolong life, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical interventions, etc.

Some examples of diagnosis that may be appropriate include, but are not limited to:

– Metastatic Cancer

– Congestive Heart Failure

– Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

– Liver Disease