Palliative Care, Within Reach

October 23, 2025

Discover what palliative care truly means—support, comfort, and dignity at any stage of illness. Learn how to access care early and confidently for your family.

World Hospice & Palliative Care Day 2025: A Family Guide to Access

When Families Hear “Palliative Care”

When families hear the words palliative care, it’s common to feel uncertainty or even fear. Too often, it’s mistaken for “the end.” But this October—on World Hospice & Palliative Care Day (October 11, 2025)—we’re joining a global movement that calls for something different: universal access to palliative care.

At Empowered Endings Foundation, we believe palliative care isn’t about giving up—it’s about gaining support. It’s about dignity, comfort, and clarity, available as early as possible, for as long as it’s needed.

So the question we hear most often is: “How do we actually get palliative care?”

In this guide, you’ll find clear steps, practical checklists, and resources to help your family access care without delay—whether at home, in a hospital, or in your community.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice: Clearing Up the Confusion

Before we discuss access, let’s clarify a common misconception: many people hear the term “palliative care” and immediately associate it with “hospice care.” Although they share similar goals, they are not the same..

Palliative care can begin at any stage of a serious or complex illness. Its focus: managing symptoms, easing emotional stress, improving quality of life, coordinating care, and supporting families alongside medical treatment.
Hospice is a form of palliative care that focuses on comfort care and quality of life in the final months of life, typically when life expectancy is six months or less and curative treatments are no longer pursued.

This distinction between palliative care and hospice matters because it means families don’t have to wait until “the very end” to ask for help.

How to Get Palliative Care: Step-by-Step Guide

Palliative care is here to help you live as fully and comfortably as possible. Whether you’re supporting a loved one or exploring care for yourself, this simple Palliative Care Checklist will help you get the right support, understand your options, and make sure your care reflects what matters most to you.

Talk to your doctor.
Ask for a “palliative care consult.” Use direct language: “We’d like to request palliative support for symptom management and care coordination.”
Check insurance or Medicare benefits.
Most plans cover palliative care if deemed medically necessary. Look specifically for symptom management, home health, or supportive care codes.
Ask about care settings.
Palliative care can be provided in hospitals, outpatient clinics, or at home. Knowing your options helps you match support to your needs.
Look into community resources.
Nonprofits (like EEF) and elder care organizations often provide referrals, workshops, support groups, and assistance navigating forms.
Create a values statement.
Write down what quality of life means to you—comfort, independence, dignity—so your care team has clarity from the start.
Make a list of symptoms
Make a note of your biggest challenges—like pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, or anxiety—so your team can target relief right away.

How to find palliative care near me (fast)

If you’re ready to Google “palliative care near me,” these three options are often the fastest and most reliable ways to connect with palliative care providers:

(1) Call your hospital’s main line and ask for the palliative care department or “supportive care” clinic.

(2) Ask your primary care doctor or specialist to place a palliative care consult/referral (this is often the fastest way to be seen).

(3) Check your insurer’s directory for “palliative care,” “supportive care,” or “home-based palliative” to confirm in-network options.

If local programs are limited—common in rural areas—ask about telehealth palliative care or hybrid models that combine virtual visits with occasional home or clinic check-ins. For extra speed, have your values statement and a brief list of top symptoms (such as pain, breathlessness, nausea, anxiety, and sleep disturbances) ready when you call.

What Palliative Care Costs (and What’s Covered)

One of the most common questions families ask is: “How much does palliative care cost?”

Medicare and Medicaid: Typically cover physician visits, nursing support, medications for symptom relief, and sometimes social work or counseling.
Private insurance: May vary, but most plans include palliative consults and symptom management if deemed medically necessary.
Out-of-pocket costs: Families may need to cover complementary services (like massage, music therapy, or private caregiving) unless included in a program.

Tip: Before starting services, ask your provider for the specific billing codes they’ll be using. This makes it easier to confirm with your insurer what’s covered and what isn’t. And remember, nonprofits and hospital-based programs often provide additional free or low-cost resources.

When to Start Palliative Care

Remember, palliative care can be started at ANY time. The biggest myth is that you have to wait until treatments end, and you have to be nearing the end of your life. In reality, earlier is better. Consider asking for palliative care if:

Symptoms like pain, fatigue, or breathlessness affect daily life.
You’re navigating frequent hospital visits.
You have a complex or chronic illness with many symptoms.
The illness is causing stress or conflict within the family.
You want extra support coordinating across multiple doctors.

Asking when to start palliative care is not “later”—it’s now, when support can make the biggest difference.

What happens at your first palliative care visit?

Expect a whole-person intake that covers symptoms, current medications, medical history, and what quality of life means to you. Most teams use simple rating scales (for pain, breathlessness, fatigue) to tailor a plan, then walk through practical supports: care coordination, caregiver resources, and guidance on advance care planning.

You’ll likely discuss where you prefer to receive care (home, clinic, telehealth) and set a follow-up cadence (e.g., every 2–6 weeks, sooner if symptoms change).

Be sure all your questions are answered before you leave. You should walk away with a clear, written plan—knowing who to call after hours, what medications or adjustments are in place, and any referrals.(social work, counseling, chaplaincy), or next steps in your care.

Access and Caregiver Mental Health

Another important thing to keep in mind when considering palliative care is that it isn’t only about the patient. It’s also about caregiver relief. Access to these services can:

Provide respite and counseling for family caregivers.
Reduce burnout by coordinating care across multiple providers.
Offer emotional support for anticipatory grief and decision-making.

When caregivers are supported, patients experience better outcomes too. That’s why palliative access is family care, not just patient care.

Palliative Care Resources Every Family Should Know

Access doesn’t stop with the medical system. One of the best ways to explore palliative care options and feel supported through every stage is to connect with others who truly understand.

👉 Join the Free Empowered Endings Community Today ⟶

Inside, you’ll find expert-led sessions, practical tools, and real conversations about palliative and hospice care, dementia, grief, family support, and more. It’s completely free—because no family should have to navigate end-of-life care alone.

Questions to Ask Your Care Team

We know that starting palliative care can feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to forget what to ask in the moment. To make the most of your first conversation, bring a list of questions to guide the discussion. Here are a few that can help you get clear on services, coverage, and support:

Based on my condition, what palliative care services are available?
Can this be provided at home?
How does insurance cover palliative care, and what isn’t covered?
How will we know when hospice becomes appropriate?
What emotional or caregiver support is included?

FAQs: Families Ask, We Answer

Does insurance cover palliative care at home?
Yes, most Medicare and many private insurance plans cover home-based palliative visits. Coverage may vary for medications and therapies, so check your plan.

How early can palliative care start?
Palliative care can begin at diagnosis of a serious illness—not just in the final months. The earlier it starts, the more support it offers.

Who provides palliative care?
Palliative care teams are an interdisciplinary team that often includes doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and counselors who specialize in whole-person support.

What’s the difference between hospice and palliative care?
Palliative care is available at any stage of illness. Hospice is reserved for the final six months when curative treatment is no longer pursued.

Why Access Matters Globally

This year’s World Hospice & Palliative Care Day theme is about “Achieving the Promise: Universal Access to Palliative Care.” Families everywhere deserve the same chance at comfort and dignity, regardless of income, location, or diagnosis.

In the U.S., rural communities often lack access to specialized palliative programs, leaving families without local support.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that only 14% of people who need palliative care currently receive it.
Low- and middle-income countries face the most significant gaps, with shortages in both medications (like morphine) and trained providers.

By asking early, advocating clearly, and using available resources, families help push the movement forward. Every voice matters in making universal access not just a promise, but a reality.

Next Steps

Accessing palliative care doesn’t have to be confusing. By understanding the difference between palliative and hospice, asking for a consult early, checking insurance coverage, and writing a values statement, families can take control of their care journey.

And most importantly: you don’t have to do it alone.