Once you elect hospice care, a registered nurse must assess you within 48 hours, equipment and comfort medications typically arrive fast, and a 24/7 phone line is set up. Here's exactly what's required, what to expect, and what changes after those first two days.

Hospice and palliative care get used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. Palliative care supports anyone with a serious illness, even alongside curative treatment. Hospice is a specific Medicare benefit for a six-month-or-less prognosis. Here's the real difference, sourced from Medicare.gov and CMS, plus how to check a hospice's quality once you've decided it's the right step.