Understanding Palliative/Supportive Care: What Every Caregiver Should Know

Palliative care, also increasingly known as Supportive Care, may be one of the most misunder­stood terms in healthcare. Many people believe it’s the same as hospice care and it means the end of life. But palliative care is different from hospice, and when put in place, palliative care can bring hope, control, and a chance at a better quality of life for seriously ill patients and their caregivers.

This Fact Sheet will summarize key features of pal­liative care, describe how it differs from hospice, and clarify some of the misconceptions that prevent people from considering palliative care for them­selves or for loved ones.