Question: What is Hospice?
Answer: Hospice is a term used to describe both a type of healthcare facility, and a type of healthcare. Hospice care, also known as palliative care, is care for the dying or terminally ill. Once all treatment options have been exhausted, a patient is placed in hospice care to provide comfort and dignity in one's final days.
It's important to understand that once a patient enters hospice care, they are no longer being treated for the cause of their illness. Basically, hospice patients are being treated for pain and other symptoms, again with the main objective being to provide comfort and consolation. This treatment primarily consists of sedation for pain and anxiety, and personal care such as bathing, feeding, and such. In some cases, the patient may be sedated to the point of unconsciousness if necessary to avoid pain.
