Services
Hospice Characteristics
- Hospice emphasizes quality of life for individuals and for their
families. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death: It affirms
life and regards dying as a normal process.
- Hospice focuses on care that provides relief from distressing
symptoms, not cure of the disease. The goal is to make the patient
as free of pain and as comfortable as possible so that the patient
and family can make the most of the time that remains.
- Does not seek to prolong life, but to make the last phases as
comfortable as possible.
- Hospice treats the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of
the patient using an interdisciplinary team of professionals and
volunteers. However, the patient and family are in control of the
care, and their wishes are respected.
- Hospice considers the patient and family to be the unit of care.
Hospice staff support families as they care for the patient. Bereavement
support is offered to the family after the death of the patient.
- Hospice usually provides care in the home or a home-like setting. However, care may sometimes be provided in a hospital or nursing home.
