About Hospice

Hospice Basics

If you need fast facts about hospice, this is the place to find them.

Here are the basic things you should know about hospice and end of life care:

Hospice NEVER hastens death. Nor does it prolong life.
Hospice cares for the whole person – mind, body, and spirit.
A patient has the right to choose to come off of hospice care.
Your hospice team will not automatically stop all your medicines.
Patients have the right to choose which hospice agency they want to use, and often can keep their own physician.
Hospice does not always require a Do Not Resuscitate order

Hospice isn’t just for the elderly (sad fact, but true). Sometimes kids need hospice care.
Hospice care requires a physician to decide a patient has a limited life expectancy (6 months or less).
It’s not just for those patients who are very near death. Hospice care is sometimes used for over 6 months.
Not everyone who chooses hospice care dies. Patients stabilize or improve, and then no longer qualify for hospice services.
Under the Medicare hospice benefit in the U.S, there is often NO cost to the patient or family for any services or care related to the hospice diagnosis.

And most importantly…..