Hospice

Introduction

Hospice care refers to a specialized form of healthcare that focuses on providing comfort and support to patients who are in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness, and to their families. The primary goal of hospice care is not to cure the underlying disease, but to provide the highest quality of life possible for the time that remains. Hospice can be provided in various settings including dedicated hospice facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, or even the patient's own home.<ref>National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. NHPCO Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America. NHPCO, 2020.</ref>

Principles of Hospice Care

The philosophy of hospice care is rooted in the concept of palliative care, which emphasizes managing pain and other distressing symptoms of serious illness, providing emotional and psychological support, and helping patients and their families to cope with the spiritual and practical concerns related to death and dying.<ref>World Health Organization. WHO Definition of Palliative Care. WHO, 2020.</ref>

Hospice Team and Services

A hospice team usually consists of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains or other spiritual advisors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, complementary therapists, and volunteers. These interdisciplinary teams work together to develop and implement a holistic care plan tailored to each individual's needs and preferences.<ref>Higginson IJ, Sen-Gupta GJ. Place of care in advanced cancer: a qualitative systematic literature review of patient preferences. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2000.</ref>

Services provided by a hospice typically include medical care, pain management, symptom control, psychological and spiritual care, provision of necessary medications and equipment, support for families and caregivers, and bereavement counseling.

Accessing Hospice Care

Access to hospice care usually requires a referral from a healthcare provider. This generally occurs when the patient's disease is considered to be terminal, and curative treatment is no longer the goal of care. Hospice care can be beneficial for people with a variety of life-limiting conditions, including cancer, heart disease, lung disease, dementia, and others.<ref>Lunney JR, Lynn J, Foley DJ, Lipson S, Guralnik JM. Patterns of functional decline at the end of life. JAMA, 2003.</ref>

Benefits of Hospice Care

Research shows that hospice care can improve the quality of life for patients and their families, reduce hospitalizations and the use of aggressive treatments, and may even extend survival in some cases.<ref>Connor SR, Pyenson B, Fitch K, Spence C, Iwasaki K. Comparing hospice and nonhospice patient survival among patients who die within a three-year window. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2007.</ref>

See Also

• Palliative Care
• End of Life Care
• Advance Care Planning

External Links

• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• Hospice Foundation

WikiMD's HospiceFinder

Need helping finding a hospice care centers in the United States?

• 
  De Greeff Hospice House
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  St. Christopher's Hospice
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  Mamilla St. Vincent
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  St. Thomas Hospice, Canterbury