Palliative Care and Hospice Care are both designed to provide comfort and support to patients facing serious illnesses, but they are used in different circumstances:

• Palliative Care: Consider Palliative Care if you or a loved one is dealing with a serious illness that is causing significant symptoms or stress, regardless of the prognosis or stage of the disease. It is appropriate at any point during the illness and can be combined with treatments aimed at curing the condition.
• Hospice Care: Hospice Care is appropriate when a patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less and the focus shifts from curative treatment to comfort care. It is a decision made when the primary goal is to provide the best possible quality of life in the remaining time.

Yes, If you think Palliative Care might be helpful for you, ask your doctor for a referral.

If you’re struggling managing symptoms or understanding treatments for your chronic illness, Intermountain Health Palliative Care Program may be an option for you. Our care team supports a variety of different illnesses after diagnosis, including:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• Liver disease
• Cancer
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Stroke

Our care team may consist of a board-certified palliative medicine physician, an advanced practice clinician, a registered nurse, a social worker and a chaplain.