Hospice

What it means

Hospice is a type of care for people with a terminal illness who are expected to live six months or less. Instead of trying to cure the illness, hospice focuses on comfort — managing pain, helping with daily needs, and supporting the family. Most hospice care happens at home, but it can also happen in a nursing home or a special hospice facility. Hospice includes visits from nurses, social workers, chaplains, and home health aides. It also covers medications related to the illness, medical equipment like hospital beds, and counseling for the family. Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance cover hospice with little or no cost to the patient. A person can leave hospice at any time and go back to regular treatment.

When you might hear this

You hear this when a doctor says that treatment is no longer working for a terminal illness. Hospice means shifting the focus from trying to cure the illness to making the person comfortable.

What to ask