Hospice Care Guidance

When a patient has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, meaning the illness cannot be cured, it is time to explore end-of-life options. Hospice care is designed to control pain and other symptoms for terminally ill patients who have a life expectancy of 6 months or less.

The number of patients and families receiving hospice care has risen steadily over the years, and in 2012, about 1.5 million patients received care at 5,500 hospice care programs. More than 35% of patients receiving hospice care have a primary diagnosis of cancer; others have diagnoses such as dementia, heart disease, and lung disease. Special hospice programs exist for children with cancer or other diseases and for people with AIDS.