Guide to Palliative Care, Hospice, and Advance Care Planning
How to Ensure Your Medical Care Aligns With Your Values
Conversations about the future when you have cancer can be difficult, but they are also a profound source of empowerment. Understanding your options for comfort and quality of life—and making your wishes known—is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family.
As a survivor, I learned that planning for the "what-ifs" isn't about giving up; it's about taking control. It’s about ensuring that your voice is always at the center of your care. This guide is your map to three essential tools for that journey: Palliative Care, Hospice Care, and Advance Care Planning.
Quick Guide: Your Future Planning Action Plan
* Ask About Palliative Care Now. At your very next appointment, ask your oncologist: "Could a palliative care consultation help me manage my symptoms?" Palliative care is for quality of life and can be started at any stage of illness, even alongside curative treatment.
Start the Conversation. You don't have to have all the answers. Visit The Conversation Project and download their free "Conversation Starter Guide." It’s an amazing tool to help you think about what matters most to you and to talk about it with your family.
Complete Your Advance Directive. This is the legal document (including a Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney) that puts your wishes in writing. You can find your state's specific forms for free online.
Understand That Palliative Care is Not Hospice. This is the biggest misconception. Palliative care is about symptom management to improve your quality of life during treatment. Hospice is comfort care for the end of life, when curative treatment is no longer the goal.
Why Planning for Your Quality of Life Matters
Taking these steps provides immense relief for both you and your family.
It Improves Your Quality of Life Today. Palliative care is proven to reduce pain, nausea, depression, and other symptoms, helping you feel better and tolerate treatment more effectively.
It Provides Comfort and Dignity. Hospice care offers compassionate, comfort-focused care, typically in your own home, enabling a peaceful and dignified end-of-life experience when that time comes.
It Ensures Your Voice is Always Heard. Advance care planning ensures your medical wishes are known and legally respected, even if you become unable to speak for yourself.
It Lifts a Heavy Burden from Your Loved Ones. Making your wishes clear relieves your family of the stress and guilt of having to make impossible medical decisions on your behalf during a crisis.
Step 1: Ask for Palliative Care from Day One
Palliative care is a specialized field of medicine focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of your diagnosis.
What Palliative Care Does
Expertly manages pain, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and other symptoms.
Provides emotional and spiritual support for you and your family.
Helps you navigate complex medical decisions that align with your personal goals.
How to Access Palliative Care
Ask your oncologist or social worker for a referral. Say: "I'd like to meet with the palliative care team to help manage my symptoms." Most cancer centers have a dedicated palliative care department.
Step 2: Understand the Role of Hospice Care
Hospice is a specialized type of palliative care for individuals who are nearing the end of their life, typically with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its natural course.
What Hospice Provides: Hospice focuses entirely on comfort and quality of life, not on curing the disease. It provides a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and aides who manage symptoms and provide support, usually in the patient's home.
How It's Covered: Hospice is a comprehensive benefit covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans.
Step 3: Complete Your Advance Care Plan
Advance care planning is the process of making your healthcare wishes known. It involves two key documents.
Healthcare Power of Attorney (or Healthcare Proxy)
This legal document lets you name a person you trust to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself.
Living Will
This document outlines your wishes for end-of-life medical care, such as your preferences regarding resuscitation and mechanical ventilation.
How to Start: Use free, trusted resources like The Conversation Project or Five Wishes to help you think through and document your wishes. Then, find and complete your state's official legal forms.
Survivor Tip: These conversations are not easy, but they are one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family. My own advance care planning brought a strange sense of peace. It meant that my loved ones would never have to guess what I wanted, freeing them to simply be with me.
A Final Word: Planning is an Act of Empowerment
Thinking about these topics is hard, but avoiding them is harder—for both you and your family. Taking these steps is an act of love and a powerful way to take control. It ensures that your journey, no matter what twists and turns it takes, will always be guided by your values and your voice.
Need Help Navigating These Conversations?
Understanding these options and talking about them with your family can be challenging. Evolvve Health can provide the steady support you need to navigate this process with clarity and compassion.
Talk: Book a free initial consultation to discuss your goals for care in a safe and supportive space.
Map: We'll help you create a personalized map of local palliative and hospice resources and provide you with tools to start your advance care planning.
Activate: We will help you prepare for conversations with your doctors and your family, ensuring your wishes are understood and honored.
This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. Always consult with your medical team and a qualified attorney for personalized guidance.
Related Topics: palliative care for cancer, what is hospice care, advance care planning, living will, healthcare power of attorney, The Conversation Project, Five Wishes, end-of-life planning.
