Of course most services present their best face to potential customers. Services and ways to compare them are discussed below. Palliative care is care directed to relief of symptoms rather than or along with cure. For brevity's sake we will use the term hospice henceforth. Hospice staff should have specialized training in symptom management and other aspects of terminal care.
Most hospices have services that are similar at least in description.
Core staff and services usually include nurses, physicians, home health aides, chaplains, nutritionists, social workers, psychologists, volunteers, physical and occupational therapists, and bereavement services. It is unfortunate that hospice referrals are usually made in the last month or weeks of life when the patient is very ill, symptoms are severe, and the family exhausted. Late referrals to hospice are a mistake. It is very helpful to involve hospice in care before the patient is extremely ill, before symptoms are a major problem, and before the family is exhausted. Early involvement results in at least some problems being prevented.