What Is Hospice Care?

Some cancer patients and their families are confronted with one of the most difficult decisions of all: the decision to stop treatment. Hospice programs are invaluable in helping to shepherd families and their loved ones through the transition away from curative treatments. Hospice provides a medical team, equipment, home or inpatient treatments, hospice pharmacy, assistance with personal care, grief, end of life planning, spiritual guidance, and counseling. This support and care is for patients and also for their family and friends who are helping on this journey. The core hospice team typically includes a hospice physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain, care partner, and a volunteer. Some hospice programs provide music, pets, massage, aromatherapy, or other complementary therapies.

Hospice care is not about giving up; it is about shifting our focus from the exhaustive regimen of treatment to focus on having as many good and pain-free days as possible. You might be surprised to know that the word hospice comes from “hospitality.” The root idea is “a safe place of rest for the weary traveler.” The goal of hospice care is to pay attention to the quality of your days. Hospice will do all they can for you to be comfortable, alert, and able to enjoy life as much as possible. Most hospice care is provided in your home or that of a loved one, but may include care in a hospital, nursing home, or a hospice facility if available.
--R. Gene Lovelace, MDiv, Retired Hospice Chaplain