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End of Life
Palliative care, hospice, having the difficult conversations, and supporting grief.
For Informational Purposes Only
Content on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
A note before reading this section
End-of-life planning is not giving up. It is honouring the person's wishes. Research consistently shows that people who have advance care conversations experience less distressing deaths, have fewer unwanted hospital admissions, and that their caregivers grieve with less guilt and complicated grief than those who did not plan. This section is here because patients and families deserve clear information.
Palliative Care vs Hospice — Understanding the Difference
Palliative Care
- Begins at any stage — even at diagnosis
- Given alongside curative treatment
- Focuses on symptoms, quality of life, and emotional support
- Provided by palliative care specialists in addition to your oncology team
- Does NOT mean giving up on treatment
- Evidence shows it can improve survival in some cancers (lung cancer NEJM 2010 study)
- Ask for a palliative care referral from your oncologist
Hospice Care
- For patients with a prognosis of 6 months or less who choose comfort-focused care
- Stops curative treatment — focuses entirely on comfort and dignity
- Covered by Medicare (USA) and NHS (UK) at no cost to the patient
- Can be provided at home, in a hospice facility, or in a care home
- Provides 24/7 nurse availability, pain management, emotional support
- In USA: Medicare hospice benefit also covers caregiver support and bereavement for 13 months after death
- Patients can leave hospice if their condition improves
Conversations Worth Having — and How to Start Them
Support Lines
USA | CARINGINFO: 1-800-658-8898
End-of-life planning
UK | Marie Curie: 0800 090 2309
Palliative & EOL support
UK | Macmillan: 0808 808 0000
General cancer support
India | CanSupport: 011-4160-0700
Palliative care Delhi
Canada | CHPCA: 1-800-668-2785
Palliative care Canada
Global | IAHPC whopca.org
International hospice directory