Palliative care vs end-of-life care: what’s the difference?

What is the difference between palliative and end-of-life care? Although these types of care have similarities, there are some crucial differences. It can help to understand the options fully when you’re looking for the right care for yourself or a loved one.

• Palliative care may be given at any time during an incurable illness
• End-of-life care is a type of palliative care offered when someone is close to the end of their life

The Nursing Guild offers palliative care and end-of-life care in the home. We can cover ongoing, short term or emergency assignments anywhere in Scotland and Ireland – no matter how remote. Our bespoke care focuses on providing one-to-one support to manage symptoms as well as practical emotional support for individuals and their families.

In this article, we give you an overview of what palliative care and end-of-life care are and the care services available with the Nursing Guild:

• What is palliative care?
• What is end-of-life care?
• Is palliative care the same as end-of-life care?
• Palliative care and end-of-life care with the Nursing Guild

What is palliative care?

Palliative care focuses on treating the symptoms of a terminal (incurable) illness and is available as soon as you receive your diagnosis. It can be offered at the same time as other treatments and helps manage pain and discomfort. Some people need palliative care for months or even years.

At the Nursing Guild, our nurses and healthcare assistants provide palliative care to people who want to remain at home or who plan to return home from a hospital or hospice. We can give physical, practical, and emotional support to patients and their families so they can focus on making the most of the time they have together.

Who can receive palliative care

We can give physical, practical, and emotional support to patients and their families so they can focus on making the most of the time they have together. We support people who have:

• Late-stage illnesses such as Parkinson’s, dementia or cancer
• Recent trauma such as a heart attack, stroke, or accident
• Incurable long-term conditions that could deteriorate rapidly

Who can provide palliative care?

The type of care and the service providers all depend on what type of care you require and whether you are receiving care at home, in a hospice or in a care home. Typically, when you get palliative care at home, you will have a community care team or palliative care team to help you. Some care professionals you can expect to be involved in palliative care include:

• Palliative care nurses
• GPs
• District/community nurses
• Other specialists such as occupational therapists

However, it’s important to note that hospices and care homes may have different professionals that will offer different services. Plus, depending on the severity of your condition, you may not need an extensive team to care for you.

What does palliative care entail?

We work with families and other healthcare professionals to offer long-term, short-term, or emergency support, including:

• Returning home from a hospital or hospice
• Complex care
• Pain management
• Regularly reviewing care needs

At the Nursing Guild, our nurses and healthcare assistants will work alongside you and your family. They can also liaise with healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, and occupational therapists, to ensure the right support is always provided.

What is end-of-life care?

End-of-life care is part of palliative care but focuses on specialised physical and emotional support during the last weeks or months of life. This type of care helps people remain as comfortable and pain-free as possible, while respecting their wishes about where they wish to die. End-of-life care also includes emotional and spiritual support for individuals, their families, and friends.

When does end-of-life care start?

Typically, most patients start end-of-life care in the last months, weeks or days of their lives, however, it can be started in a matter of days depending on how quickly your condition progresses. Deciding when to start end-of-life care is a big decision that needs a lot of thought and consideration and is decided by the patient and care team. All types of palliative care are patient-centred so any decision to start end-of-life care would be your decision to make. Many people may choose to begin end-of-life care after they receive palliative care for some time. Providing patients with the choice of how they are cared for in their remaining moments of life can make all the difference and lets them die with dignity.

Home-based end-of-life care

At the Nursing Guild, we offer end-of-life support for people in their own homes, no matter where they live in Scotland and Ireland. The care we provide matches the care available in a hospital or hospice. Our long-term, short-term, or emergency support services include:

• Assessing each person’s requirements while respecting their wishes
• Supporting them as they return home, with the right care in place
• Advising on all aspects of home modifications, equipment, and specialist care
• Providing medication for pain
• Working alongside other healthcare professionals as things change, making sure you have excellent support, no matter what
• Navigating the wishes and relationships between the patient and their loved ones

End-of-life care offers individuals the option of returning home from a hospital, care facility, or hospice feeling confident they’ll have appropriate treatment to manage pain or other symptoms during their last months or days.

Our fully trained, experienced staff can continue to support you and your family if palliative care becomes end-of-life care, no matter how complex your needs.

Is palliative care the same as end-of-life care?

No, even though end-of-life care is a type of palliative care, they are both different types of treatment for people with terminal illnesses. The difference between palliative and end-of-life care depends on when the patient is receiving treatment. Palliative care has a focus on optimising the patients’ quality of life as they deal with their condition. Whereas end-of-life care focuses on making patient lives as comfortable as possible in their final days, weeks or months. Because of this, a patient will typically have palliative care for much longer than they would have end-of-life care.

Palliative care and end-of-life care with the Nursing Guild

Our nurses and healthcare assistants provide palliative care and end-of-life care to people at home anywhere in Scotland and Ireland. That means you don’t need to be in a hospital, care facility, or hospice to access the right help. And we’re available at any time of the day or night, even at short notice.

We’ll discuss your options with you, listening to what’s important so that we can create a bespoke and holistic care plan for you. And we’ll offer advice based on our extensive experience so you can decide on what’s best for you.

We’re here 24 hours a day, every day, for as long as you need us, no matter what. Plus, we’re regulated by The Care Inspectorate and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, consistently achieving the highest rating for our services.

The services we provide

When it comes to giving you the best support for palliative and end-of-life care, we can:

• Support you with safely returning home from a hospital, care facility, or hospice
• Manage your symptoms, including pain relief, to improve your quality of life
• Liaise with your GP and other healthcare professionals to make sure you get appropriate care, no matter how complex it becomes
• Offer emotional support to you and your family
• Take on the practical tasks so you can focus on family and friends
• Work with your healthcare team and family to review and adjust your care as appropriate

Speak with a member of our team