Hospice is medical care for people who are expected to live six months or less. It is provided primarily where a person lives — at home or in a nursing home or community living arrangement — so the patient can be near family, friends, pets, and valued possessions.

Hospice care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals trained to address the patient’s medical, physical, spiritual, and psychosocial needs. The team focuses on the person, not the illness, as they coordinate patient care, clarify the goals of care, and foster communication.

Members of the hospice team visit the patient periodically. Hospice providers are available around the clock to respond to patient or caregiver concerns.

The team also supports family members and other close caregivers. Hospice provides bereavement care for the patient’s family and caregivers during the illness and for more than a year after their loved one’s death.

Importantly, hospice care is a covered benefit for anyone enrolled in Medicare or Medicare Advantage. This specialty care also is covered at varying levels by most healthcare insurers and, in almost every state, by Medicaid.

When is it time for hospice care?

Hospice care is not just for people who are bedridden or in their last days of life. Patients and their families can benefit from hospice for months, so long as the patient is medically eligible.

Consider starting hospice care when:

• The patient’s physical and/or cognitive status declines significantly despite medical treatment. Signs may include increased pain or other symptoms, substantial weight loss, extreme fatigue, weakness, or shortness of breath.
• Doctors estimate that life expectancy is six months or less.
• The patient is in the end stage of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
• The goal is to live more comfortably rather than continuing treatments that take a physical toll and have been unsuccessful in halting or curing a life-threatening illness.