HospiceBy: Shantel Stenthouse and Amanda Kraus

Patient Description

• Hospice care is for seriously ill patients to spend their final months living, rather than cure.

• 2/3 of all Hospice patients are over the age of 65. 

• Hospice is for patients whose life span is 6 months or less. 

Services Provided

• Provides comfort and special care services to improve the condition of life for the patient and his/her family.

• Hospice provides symptom and pain relief as well as spiritual and emotional support.

• The goal of Hospice is to give the highest excellence of life possible until time is over. 

Cost

• Hospice is covered by insurance including Medicare and Medicaid, or The Veterans Health Administration.

• Although many Hospice programs are different concerning payment, services are mainly based on need rather than the facility to pay. 

Type of Employees

• Specially trained volunteers, doctors, nurses, counselors, or social workers come to visit the patient in Hospice to make them have a sense of comfort.

• Therapy trained dogs can visit the Hospice to bring a smile onto the patients face. 

Interesting Facts

• Hospice can take place in your own home. • Help is available 24/7 when you need it. • Out of 2,450,000 U.S deaths, 1,020,000 are Hospice

deaths.• The word "hospice" comes from the Latin "hospitium"

meaning guesthouse.

Location of Death 2009

Patient’s Place of Residence 68.6%

Private Residence 40.1%Nursing Home 18.9%

Residential Facility 9.6%Hospice Inpatient Facility 21.2%

Acute Care Hospital 10.1%