Hospice & End-of-Life Support

Hospice is a specialized program of comfort-focused medical care for people with a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less if the illness follows its expected course. Rather than curative treatment, hospice focuses on pain management, symptom control, emotional and spiritual support, and caregiver assistance.

Hospice is primarily a service, not a place. Most hospice care is provided in the patient's own home (or nursing home, or assisted living community). Inpatient hospice facilities exist for short-term crisis care when symptoms cannot be managed at home. The goal of most hospice programs is to allow people to remain in a familiar environment surrounded by family.

The Medicare Hospice Benefit covers virtually all hospice-related costs — physician visits, nursing care, medications related to the terminal diagnosis, medical equipment, aide services, and counseling — with no deductible or copay for most services. Medicaid and most private insurance also cover hospice.

Common indicators include: the person's condition has declined despite treatment, curative treatment is causing more burden than benefit, frequent hospitalizations are no longer improving quality of life, or the person has expressed a preference for comfort over curative care. A palliative care consultation can help families navigate this decision.