Hospice verbage

[onetiredmomma]

What is the difference in palliative care and comfort measures only care for hospice pts? thanks

[Prettybrowngirl]

Palliative care can involve treatments, procedures, therapy, etc. aimed at comfort rather than cure. An example is radiation therapy to reduce severe discomfort or symptoms. Comfort care is basically just that: medicate for pain and provide appropriate interventions for things like SOB, pulmonary edema, N/V, etc. Both palliative and comfort care, however, does not involve attempts to actually treat the disease. Hope this makes sense.

[tewdles, RN]

Part of the distinction is the prognosis of the patient. Comfort care occurs for the terminally ill, generally those imminently dying, while palliative care can occur at anytime unrelated to prognosis.