About Hospice Care

Although we hope everyone will recover from an illness or old age, this is oftentimes not the case.  In some situations, there is nothing that can be done to restore a person’s health.  However, hospice care can make the end of one’s life much more comfortable through physical, emotional and spiritual assistance.

The idea of hospice care has been progressing since the 11th century, when the terminally ill were cared for by Crusaders. The first hospice was opened in the 14th century by the order of the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem, providing care to travelers, the unwell and the dying. Throughout the Middle Ages, hospices grew and development in the field progressed. During the 19th century several papers were written, drawing attention to the needs of the incurably ill. Following this was the opening of several hospices in which care was provided for those with tuberculosis and terminal cancers. One such hospice center was Our Lady’s Hospice opened by the Irish Religious Sisters of Charity. In 100 years, as many as 20,000 people came to this hospice center for end of life care. The Sisters of Charity opened other centers in other countries, giving rise to modern hospice care.

In the United States, hospice care is available to those at any age who have been diagnosed with less than six months to live. It is widely used, as in 2007 1.4 million people in the United States participated in hospice care. Only one-third of those dying in the United States seek hospice, partly because of misconceptions concerning who can receive hospice care and for how long care is given. Generally treatment lasts less than 30 days, but can also extend beyond six months depending upon the patient. Hospice care does not focus on finding a cure or diagnosing an illness; instead, care focuses on making the patient more comfortable. 

Hospice care can be carried out in a nursing home, hospital, a designated facility, or in the home of the patient. The location as well as the care level is contingent upon the condition and needs of the patient. Generally, there are four levels of care: routine home care, continuous care, general inpatient and respite care. Depending on the level of care, the patient may have different team members as well. A main team includes a hospice medical director, physicians, registered nurses, social workers and counselors, but can also extend to include pharmacists, home health aides and volunteers. Most insurance companies will cover all or part of the cost of hospice care. Medicare Part A covers 100 percent of the cost except for co-pays on outpatient drugs and respite care. Medicaid and other commercial health insurances commonly have hospice benefits as well. Charity care is also available for those who cannot pay for the service, as under Medicare law no person can be refused hospice care because of lack of funds.