To avoid mixed messages from medical professionals, coordinate with other providers to gain consensus about the hospice choice. You do not need to rely on the opinion of one person.

The key to providing holistic end-of-life care lies in your loved one’s multidisciplinary hospice team. The hospice team, comprised of highly-trained medical, psychosocial, and spiritual professionals, works together with one goal in mind: to provide complete comfort for your loved one’s whole person and to provide care and support to you as a caregiver, and to your family and friends.

One of the most common areas of confusion is the difference between palliative and hospice care. While palliative care and hospice care have a close relationship with one another, there are key differences in the overall purpose, application, and practice of these care practices.