What is Hospice?


Hospice is a program that provides comfort and supportive care for terminally ill patients and their families, either directly or on a consulting basis with the patient's physician. The whole family is considered the unit of care, and care extends through their period of mourning. Hospice services can be provided wherever a patient calls home: private residence, assisted living center, skilled nursing facility, etc. Services can include:
  • Physician service
  • Nursing care
  • Home health aide and homemaker services
  • Medical social services
  • Counseling services
  • Short-term inpatient care
  • Medical appliances and supplies
  • Prescription drugs
  • Physical therapy
Services are typically related to managing the patient's terminal illness, controlling pain, or enabling the individual to maintain activities of daily living and basic functional skills.