Qusion: What is palliative care, and what is the difference between palliative and hospice care? 

Answer: Palliative care is care that focuses on symptom relief and patient-centered care for those with serious, advanced illness. The patient may still be seeking a cure, but needs help with symptom control or help with decision making that meets his or her individual needs. Hospice care is similar to this but is limited to those with a six-month or less prognosis who are not actively seeking a cure.