Why Do People Use Hospice Care?

Hospice, also called end-of-life care, provides support, health care and services to people who are in the final stages of a terminal illness and their loved ones. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) outlines the goal of hospice care as "...to help people who are dying have peace, comfort and dignity."

Medical Support

• Some people choose to use hospice care for medical support. Whether the patient resides at home, a nursing facility or hospital, health care professionals provide testing, monitoring and medicine dispensing. They may also help clean, dress and feed or maintain a feeding pump for the patient. This helps reduce the workload and stress for the family and friends who would otherwise need to perform some of these tasks.

Psychological Support

• Hospice workers may be health care workers, spiritual advisors or volunteers. Social workers and psychologists can offer psychological support to both the patient and family. Since many families may not be able to afford these professional services, getting access to them may only be possible through hospice care.

Spiritual Support

• Spiritual advisors, clergy from different religions and denominations, can provide both the patient and family with spiritual comfort. They provide support by listening to concerns, talking about faith and providing comforting advice and spiritual philosophy. For some people, just the presence of a clergy person provides comfort.