Hospice is a compassionate, patient-centered approach to medical care and support for people at the end of life and their families. It's care focused on maintaining dignity, increasing quality of life, and providing comfort, including pain and symptom control. Hospice recognizes that every person's experience will be different and the hospice team creates a plan of care according to the individual needs and wishes of each patient.

Hospice staff members are available at all times, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is the mission of hospice staff to walk side-by-side with patients and offer support, not only for any physical symptoms, but for emotional and spiritual needs, as well. This support extends to family members, and hospice helps them cope with their own unique emotional and spiritual concerns.

Through a team of healthcare professionals, hospice provides:

• Medications and other methods of pain and symptom control.
  
  
• Additional medications, medical equipment and supplies necessary to promote comfort at home or in other hospice settings.
  
  
• Medical care focused on maintaining patient comfort, including frequent assessment and help for family members.
  
  
• Assistance with personal care and activities of daily living.
  
  
• Coordination of community resources and help to the patient and family with non-medical concerns. They can help family members mend damaged relationships, plan for the future and ease other emotional difficulties.
  
  
• Help coping with spiritual questions and concerns at the end of life, either directly or by coordinating services with the patient's and family's spiritual advisors.
  
  
• Bereavement services to help patients and families deal with grief. Grief support services continue for 13 months after the death of a hospice patient.
  
  
• Volunteers to provide companionship and emotional support and offer help in many different ways.

Hospice is primarily a concept of care, rather than a specific place. Services are provided wherever you call home: your family residence, a nursing home, an assisted living facility, an inpatient unit, or a hospital. Hospice services have even been provided in hotel rooms and homeless shelters. It's truly about meeting patients where they are - with the care that's right for them.