Des Moines Senior AdvisorWhat is the difference between hospice and palliative care?
Palliative care treats symptoms and stress at any stage of a serious illness, alongside curative treatment; hospice is comfort care for someone whose doctor certifies a life expectancy of six months or less and who chooses to stop curative treatment for that illness.
Palliative care is usually delivered by a hospital or clinic team and billed like other medical care. Hospice is a defined Medicare benefit delivered by a licensed hospice, with a team of nurse, aide, social worker, chaplain and volunteers.
Where can hospice care happen in the Des Moines area?
Wherever the patient lives, including home, an assisted living program or a nursing facility, and in an inpatient hospice house for short periods when symptoms cannot be managed elsewhere.
DIAL's roster shows 11 licensed hospices with metro offices and 3 inpatient hospice houses: EveryStep Bright - Kavanagh House (Des Moines, 24 beds), EveryStep Kavanagh House (Des Moines, 15 beds), UnityPoint Hospice - Taylor House (Des Moines, 12 beds). Iowa allows a terminally ill assisted living tenant to receive hospice under a written agreement between the program and the hospice, so moving is rarely necessary.
How do we choose a hospice in central Iowa?
Ask how quickly the hospice responds at night and on weekends, how often nurses and aides visit, whether it has an inpatient option nearby, and what support it offers family before and after a death.
You can choose any hospice that serves your parent's address, and you can change hospices. The hospital, nursing facility or assisted living program may suggest one, but the choice is yours.
Does hospice mean giving up?
No. Hospice shifts the goal to comfort and quality of time, and patients who choose it often receive more attention at home than they did before; a patient can leave hospice to resume curative treatment.
Many families say they wish they had started hospice sooner. If you are unsure, ask the doctor whether the patient would be eligible, and ask for a palliative care consultation in the meantime.
Side by side
| Hospice | Palliative care | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Life expectancy of six months or less | Any stage of a serious illness |
| Treatment | Comfort care instead of curative treatment | Alongside curative treatment |
| Payment | Medicare hospice benefit covers team, drugs, equipment | Billed like other medical care |
| Where | Home, assisted living, nursing facility, hospice house | Hospital, clinic or home |
Drawn from Iowa Code chapter 231C, 481 IAC chapters 67 and 69, Iowa HHS and DIAL publications, CareScout, CMS, the VA and the aging agencies cited in the text; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
