Both palliative and hospice care address physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs and seek to improve the quality of life for persons with a life-threatening illness and for their loved ones. Hospice focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting persons with a life expectancy of months, not years. Palliative care may be given at any time after diagnosis, and can improve the quality of life for seriously ill persons and their loved ones both during and after treatment.
Hospice care has a long history involving many partners in Connecticut. The first inpatient hospice in the United States was established in New Haven in 1974, inaugurating the national hospice movement. Today there are over 25 community hospice programs serving residents in all Connecticut’s counties, and palliative care programs are being introduced in many of our hospitals.
Despite the growing availability of services, many persons with life-threatening illnesses do not receive adequate palliative and hospice care. There are many reasons for this.
- The kind, quality, and amount of palliative and hospice care received vary with where the patients are staying--at home, long-term care or assisted-living facilities, hospitals, or prisons.
- Health care professionals often are not well trained in palliative or end-of-life care.
- There are often cost issues. Medicare and some insurance plans cover hospice care, whereas palliative care is often covered indirectly, if at all.
- Cultural backgrounds, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic status can affect both the use and delivery of palliative and hospice care.
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Help at the End of Life (PDF, 480 KB)
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