Traditional Healthcare, Palliative Care, and Hospice: What Sets Them Apart?

At HealthKeeperz, we serve our clients in a number of different ways depending on their individual goals, age, and state of illness/injury. Our home health professionals provide traditional healthcare services as well as palliative care and hospice. Understanding the difference between these types of care is important, both when making decisions about your own health and when making decisions on behalf of a loved one.
 
Traditional Healthcare
 
Traditional healthcare is what most people think of when they think “healthcare.” It includes the skilled nurses that help you recover from a serious fall, and the speech therapists who aid their patients in re-learning certain language abilities after a stroke. Following the customary disease-model of medical treatment, traditional healthcare encompasses everything from wound care, to physical therapy, to leading the patient toward a more active lifestyle.
 
Although palliative care and hospice may incorporate one or more of these elements, they are intended to achieve completely different goals for the patient.
 
Palliative Care
 
Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the pain, stress, and symptoms of life-limiting illnesses. This type of care is frequently given to cancer patients or people with chronic illnesses like COPD and renal disease. First and foremost, palliative care strives to relieve suffering and improve quality of life.
 
Often, this means striking the right balance of medications; for example, many cancer patients feel a renewed sense of energy after finding the right regimen of anti-nausea medications and pain reducers. But it can also mean taking a holistic approach with the aid of a mental health professional, medical social worker, and/or chaplain. HealthKeeperz’ licensed home health specialists work in tandem with your doctor to bring happiness and comfort to your life in any stage of illness.
 
Hospice
 
Patients and their families call on hospice care when curative treatments are no longer desired, and healthcare goals have shifted from quantity of days to quality of days. Hospice care provides immense spiritual comfort and companionship during the end-of-life period; thus, chaplains play a key role on the hospice team, often ministering tirelessly as the end approaches. HealthKeeperz’ professionals are highly trained in a number of areas related to hospice: skilled nursing, pastoral care, medical social work, and in-home aide care.
 
It’s not an easy decision to move into the hospice stage, but the vast majority of patients are surprised at the sense of freedom and peace that it brings to themselves and their families.
 
 
HealthKeeperz delivers a full range of services in tandem with traditional care, palliative care, and hospice. They are always delivered with warmth and compassion, providing comfort and spiritual support to the client. Working with your physician, HealthKeeperz can help you realize your healthcare goals in the comfort of your home. Please contact us at 800-309-3784 to begin a conversation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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