Hospice 101
By Angela Morrow, RN, About.com Guide to Palliative Care
Hospice is a philosophy of care that focuses on patient comfort rather than curing illnesses. Find everything you want and need to know about hospice care, including eligibility, coverage, and pain and symptom management.
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a philosophy of care, focusing on comfort rather than cure. It is the most common form of palliative care available.
- What is Hospice Care?
- Levels of Hospice Care
- The Medicare Hospice Benefit
- Finding Hospice and Palliative Care
- 4 Myths about Hospice
- The Tiniest of Patients: Perinatal Hospice
- Hospice FAQ: Does Choosing Hospice Mean Giving Up Hope?
- What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Choosing Hospice?
- Heart Disease and Hospice
- Is Hospice a Place Someone Goes to Die?
- Tips for Choosing a Hospice Provider
Palliative Care Basics
Hospice care is a form of palliative care. Hospice care is comfort care for patients in the last six months of life while traditional palliative care can be chosen at any point in the course of an illness. Find out more about the palliative care the the difference between hospice care and palliative care.
- Hospice versus Palliative Care
- What is Palliative Care?
- Palliative Care for Children
- Palliative Care for Cancer
- Am I Ready for Hospice?
- Your Role as a Member of the Palliative Care Team
- Palliative Care for Severe Stroke
- Palliative Chemotherapy: 5 Questions for Your Oncologist
Comfort Care
Hospice care focuses on comfort. Comfort care is all-encompassing, treating pain and physical symptoms as well as emotional, social, and spiritual symptoms. Treating the whole person is essential to patient comfort.
- Pain Management in Palliative Care
- What is Pain?
- Treating Nausea and Vomiting
- Treating Shortness of Breath
- Traveling with Oxygen
- Where Did Your Appetite Go?
- Methadone vs Morphine for Pain
- Will I Become Addicted to Opiate Pain Medications?
- Treating Constipation
- How Often Should I Take/Give Pain Medication?
- 7 Ways to Whet an Appetite
- Medical Marijuana FAQ's
The Palliative Care Team
Palliative and hospice care are delivered by a interdisciplinary team of professionals, support staff, and volunteers. Every member of the team is vital to the success of patient care.
- Your Roll as the Head of the Palliative Care Team
- The Hospice/Palliative Care Physician
- Profile of a Hospice Nurse
Special Topics
Other topics that are important to the palliative care patients and their loved ones.
