The short answer
Care for advanced cancer can be given in many places, including at home, in a clinic, a long-term care facility, or a hospital. Palliative care and hospice can both be provided in different settings. Telling your team what matters most, such as being at home, helps you choose.
Palliative care can be given in the hospital, an outpatient clinic, a long-term care facility, or at home.
Hospice care most often takes place at home, but also in facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes.
Where you receive care is part of your goals of care, and you can tell your team what matters most.
Not all hospices offer the same services, so it helps to ask what each one provides.
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The full explanation.
Care can happen in many places
One of the choices people face with advanced cancer is where to receive care. The good news is that care can be given in many different settings. The right one depends on your needs and your goals.
Where you get care is a personal decision, and it can change over time. Some people want to be at home. Others feel more comfortable in a facility with staff nearby. There is no single right answer.
Settings for palliative care
Palliative care improves quality of life by easing symptoms. It can be provided in several places. You can receive it in the hospital, in an outpatient clinic, in a long-term care facility, or at home. A licensed health care provider directs it.
Anyone can receive palliative care, whatever their age or stage of disease. Because it can be given wherever you are, it can move with you if your needs change.
Settings for hospice care
Hospice care most often takes place at home. It can also be provided in special inpatient facilities, in hospitals, and in nursing homes. It can even run alongside professional home care if that is needed.
Hospice services differ depending on where you live and on the philosophy of the hospice itself. In general they include medical and nursing services, medical supplies and equipment, and drugs for managing symptoms and pain. They also include short-term inpatient care, volunteers who give caregivers a break, counseling and spiritual care, social work services, and grief support.
Not all hospices provide the same services, and the medicines they cover will vary. Ask each hospice what it offers. Talk with family and friends who have used hospice. Ask your health care team who they would suggest.
Letting your goals guide the choice
When you have advanced cancer, your health care team wants to know your goals for care and how you would like to move forward. Telling them what matters most to you helps them plan.
For example, your priority might be:
- controlling symptoms and feeling comfortable
- receiving care at home
- being open to experimental treatments
- being well enough for a special event or trip
Good communication is key. When your team understands what you need, they can help match your care setting to your wishes.
Getting support wherever you are
If being at home matters to you, ask what support is available there. Care at home can be arranged. Many insurance plans cover brief home visits from a nurse or a home health aide several times a week. Check with your insurance company in advance, so there are no surprises.
Organizations can also help you find and compare services in your area. Whatever setting you choose, the goal is the same. It is to keep you as comfortable as possible, and to support the quality of life that matters most to you.
Words to know
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Common questions
Where can palliative care be given?
You can receive palliative care in the hospital, an outpatient clinic, a long-term care facility, or at home, under the direction of a licensed health care provider. Anyone can receive it regardless of age or stage of disease.
Where can hospice care take place?
Hospice care most often takes place at home, but it can also be provided in special inpatient facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes. It can take place alongside professional home care if needed.
How do I choose a setting that fits me?
Telling your health care team what is most important to you helps. For example, receiving care at home may be a top priority. Your goals for care guide decisions, and they may change over time.
Do all hospices offer the same services?
No. Hospice services differ depending on where you live and the philosophy of the hospice itself. Not all hospices provide the same services, and the medicines they cover will vary, so it helps to ask each one.
Can I get care at home even if I need help?
Yes. Care at home can be arranged, and hospice can take place alongside professional home care if necessary. Ask your team about home care services and what support is available where you live.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-14 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-10Next planned review: 2028-07-14
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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