Hospice Care

Summary

Hospice care is end-of-life care. A team of health care professionals and volunteers provides it. They give medical, psychological, and spiritual support. The goal of the care is to help people who are dying have peace, comfort, and dignity. The caregivers try to control pain and other symptoms so a person can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice programs also provide services to support a patient’s family.

Usually, a hospice patient is expected to live 6 months or less. Hospice care can take place:

• At home
• At a hospice center
• In a hospital
• In a skilled nursing facility

NIH: National Cancer Institute

National Cancer Institute

Start Here

• Choices for Care when Treatment May Not Be an Option National Cancer Institute
• Different Care Settings at the End of Life National Institute on Aging
• Hospice Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hospice Care Administration for Community Living
• What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care? National Institute on Aging

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hospice Care National Institutes of Health

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Hospice Care National Center for Health Statistics

Find an Expert

• Find a Care Provider National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Related Issues

• Helping You Choose: Quality Hospice Care Joint Commission
• Medicare Hospice Benefits Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Patient Handouts

• Hospice care Medical Encyclopedia

Journal Articles

• Hospice Care