Leon Barretto

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day takes place on the second Saturday of October every year. World Hospice and Palliative Care Day helps raise awareness about medical, social, practical, spiritual needs of the people. Also, to raise funds to support and develop hospice and palliative care services around the world. Both palliative care and hospice care provide comfort.

Palliative care: This is treatment to help you feel better physically, emotionally, and spiritually while doctors also treat your illness. It can include care such as pain relief, counseling, or nutrition advice. Palliative care teams aim to improve the quality of life for both patients and their families.

Palliative care can be given at the same time as treatments meant to cure or treat the disease. Palliative care may be given when the illness is diagnosed, throughout treatment, during follow-up, and at the end of life. Palliative care may be offered for people with illnesses, such as Cancer, Lung disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)

While receiving palliative care, people can remain under the care of their regular health care provider and still receive treatment for their disease.

Hospice care: Hospice care is for people who are nearing the end of life, the goal is to help you feel better and to get the most out of the time you have left. But you no longer get treatment to try to cure your illness. Many people who receive hospice care have cancer, while others have heart disease, dementia, kidney failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Most hospice care is provided at home  with a family member typically serving as the primary caregiver. However, hospice care is also available at hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and dedicated hospice facilities.

Hospice care decreases the burden on family, decreases the family's likelihood of having a complicated grief and prepares family members for their loved one's death.