Which statement correctly differentiates palliative care from hospice care?

Which statement correctly differentiates palliative care from hospice care?

• A. Palliative care aims to relieve suffering and does not prolong life
• B. Palliative care seeks to cure disease
• C. Hospice care aims to prolong life through aggressive treatment
• D. Hospice care focuses on curative, inpatient hospital-based care

Answer: (A)

Palliative care centers on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for someone with a serious illness, and it can be provided at any stage of the illness—even alongside disease‑modifying or curative treatments. That emphasis on comfort and symptom relief is the most accurate way to differentiate it from hospice within these options. The other statements misstate either palliative care or hospice: palliative care is not limited to not prolonging life, and it is not solely about curing disease; hospice care is not about prolonging life through aggressive treatment and is not restricted to inpatient hospital care—it focuses on comfort and can be provided at home or in a supportive setting.

Palliative care centers on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for someone with a serious illness, and it can be provided at any stage of the illness—even alongside disease‑modifying or curative treatments. That emphasis on comfort and symptom relief is the most accurate way to differentiate it from hospice within these options. The other statements misstate either palliative care or hospice: palliative care is not limited to not prolonging life, and it is not solely about curing disease; hospice care is not about prolonging life through aggressive treatment and is not restricted to inpatient hospital care—it focuses on comfort and can be provided at home or in a supportive setting.