Hospice vs. Palliative Care: What's the Difference?

Palliative care, grief support, and healing journey — but first, let’s clear up the biggest misconception families face. Palliative care is NOT hospice. Pediatric palliative care social worker Alisha McGuire explains the difference. Most people hear “palliative care” and think it means end of life. It doesn’t. The word “palliative” means to palliate — to ease burden or symptoms. In pediatric palliative care, families are often brought in early in a child’s illness, sometimes years before the end of life. Some patients even “graduate.” Alisha has walked alongside families through diagnoses that span days to decades. In this clip, she breaks down what palliative care actually is, why it’s so often misunderstood, and why getting involved early makes all the difference. ▶ Watch the full episode: Grief on Grief: The Weight of Being the Helper | Alisha McGuire In the full conversation, Alisha opens up about watching children die, losing her own mother while on the job, the concept of “the knowing,” and what caring for others every day is doing to her nervous system. Timestamps: 0:00 What Is Pediatric Palliative Care? 0:18 Why Palliative Care Gets Confused with Hospice 0:47 What “Palliative” Actually Means 1:22 Patients in Their 20s and 30s — The Long Road of Palliative Care 3:35 Some Patients Graduate: Life Beyond a Terminal Diagnosis 6:09 Why Having This Support Early Matters for Families Connect with Trauma Uncensored Website: traumauncensored.com Instagram: @traumauncensored TikTok: @traumauncensored Email the team: [email protected] Email Brooke: [email protected] If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide or know someone who is, please call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.