Question

What is the key distinction between the hospice philosophy and the traditional model of medicine? Explain the relationship between hospice and palliative care. How are these two concepts, which are related to end-of-life care, similar and different? What are stages of grief?

Answer 1

The key distinction between the hospice philosophy and the traditional model of medicine is that traditional medicine is used in all stages of life for all kinds of diseases but hospice care is used only for the end of life patients. Hospice care is given after the treatment of the disease is stopped and there is no hope that the patient will survive, which is not usually seen in the traditional model of medicine. In the traditional model, the patient is given treatment till he/she dies. Hospice care is given to patients to have a peaceful death.

Palliative care and hospice care are both given to critical illness end-of-life patients for pain and symptom relief. Palliative care is started when the diagnosis is made and treatment is begun for any critical illness, but hospice care is given to patients without any hope of survival as a means of providing comfort until their death. Palliative care is changed to hospice care when there are no chances of patient survival.

There are five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Through these five stages of grief, people learn to live and adjust without the one they have lost. The time it takes for the completion of these stages is different for different people, which is mostly dependant on the type of relationship and the type of personality of each person.