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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
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Choices for Care when Treatment May Not Be an Option
(National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
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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)
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What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?
(National Institute on Aging)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Helping You Choose: Quality Hospice Care (Joint Commission) - PDF
- Medicare Hospice Benefits (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - PDF Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Hospice Care (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hospice Care
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Care Provider (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization)
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National Cancer Institute
Also in Spanish
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Patient Handouts
- Hospice care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish