What is Hospice?

A Guide to Palliative Care Providers

The first hospice in America was established in Connecticut in 1974. Within twenty years, the number of hospices was up to around 1,700. Hospices have now become an accepted aspect of the health care system of the United States and many other countries. The growth of hospice can be in part credited to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. She helped to promote the concept of dying with dignity in America.

Hospice is not so much a place, but a concept of care. Hospices are groups that assist the dying either in an inpatient setting or as an outpatient. The majority of care, eighty percent, is provided in a home setting or nursing home environment. The goal of most hospices is to help the dying and their family through a number of programs. Hospice programs can include:

• Patient pain management
• Providing emotional support to patient and family
• Physician and nursing services
• Home Health Aides
• Bereavement counseling and services
• Medical appliances and supplies
• Alternative and complementary medical information

Hospices offer a wide variety of services and are very flexible in how a patient receives care.

For example, hospice care be received in the following three environments:

• Hospital Hospice - a hospice center within a health care facility. Referrals to this program come from the facility and staff hospital doctors and nurses.
• Private Hospice - this hospice usually provides care through the hospice's own inpatient facility or within the patient's home setting. Referrals can come from advertising or referral.
• Home Health Hospice – allows the patient to be cared for and ultimately, to die at home, while receiving support from hospice home health staff. Most referrals come from physicians or hospitals, which can run some programs.

A hospice really is a great option for those seeking a supportive staff, an integrated approach to medical treatment options, pain management, counseling, and family support resources. Contact a hospice in your area and see what services they offer. You can find a hospice in your area on the Hospice Foundation of America web site.