FAQs

What is hospice care?

Hospice is a philosophy of care. It treats the person rather than the disease and focuses on quality of life. It surrounds the patient and family with a team consisting of professionals who not only address physical distress, but emotional and spiritual issues as well. Hospice care is patient-centered because the needs of the patient and family drive the activities of the hospice team.

Is hospice a place?

Hospice is not a place – it’s a service. Hospice brings physical, emotional, and spiritual care and support to wherever our patients call home.

Is hospice only for people who are dying?

Hospice is for people who have a limited life expectancy, typically within the next six months.

What is the difference between hospice and palliative care?

When curative treatment is no longer an option, hospice professionals use palliative care to make the patient’s life as comfortable as possible for the time that’s left. However, palliative care can also be performed for non-terminal patients, managing the symptoms and side effects of chronic illness in order for them to live longer, happier lives.

Who is best suited for hospice care?

Hospice patients are those with very serious medical conditions. Usually they have diseases that are life threatening and make day-to-day living uncomfortable or even painful —physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. Hospice aims to ease the pain on all levels.

Isn't using hospice the same as "giving up"?

This is a misconception. Although your loved one's condition may have reached a point that a cure is not likely—that does not mean there is nothing left to do. In fact, an emphasis on quality of life and easing pain and distress that hospice offers often allows patients to spend their last months focusing on the things that are ultimately the most important and meaningful.

When is the best time to start hospice care?

Experts agree that at least two to three months of care is optimal. It is better to ask sooner rather than later so you do not regret having missed the support that hospice has to offer.

Can a patient leave a hospice program?

A person may sign out of the hospice program for a variety of reasons, such as resuming aggressive curative treatment or pursuing experimental measures. Or, if a patient shows signs of recovery and no longer meets the six-month guideline, he or she can be discharged from hospice care and return to the program if the illness has progressed at a later time