Hospice is not a place, it’s a concept of care for those with life limiting illnesses. Centuries ago, a hospice was a shelter for travelers. Over the years, it evolved into a refuge where people could find care, comfort, and support during difficult times in their journey through life. The meaning for hospice, in the medical sense, is a service that offers care, comfort and support to persons that are at the end of their life journey. Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones the end of life. Hospice care considers the entire family, not just the patient, as the unit of care that receives support.

Hospice care offers palliative care, rather than treating with the intent of curing the disease process. Even when medicine cannot provide a cure, it can offer comfort and assistance that help maintain a better quality of life. With hospice care, patients and families are included in the decision-making process, and bereavement counseling is provided to the family following the death of their loved one. The team of health care professions that provide the support and care includes doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, volunteers, and spiritual counselors. Palliative care focuses on enhancing a patient’s comfort by management of pain, management of symptoms of the disease, and supporting the patients’ emotional needs. This care is given to a person in their home setting, which could include a nursing home or assisted living setting. To be eligible for hospice services, patients must agree that they wish to receive palliative rather than curative care, and their physician must concur that the patient has an estimated life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice is a covered benefit under Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans.

The demographic trend show that America is living longer, and with old age, death is often a protracted process that calls for the palliative care and support of hospice service. With more concern focused on the right to die with dignity, and not on artificial life-support, hospice care offers and alternative that focuses on alleviating suffering and providing comfort. Medical education is just beginning to address issues of palliative care and recognizing the time when hospice is the competent and compassionate choice. There is still a long way to go in educating the medical community in understanding the support and care available with hospice services.