Hospice care

Hospice is a centuries-old idea of offering a place of shelter and rest to weary and sick travelers on a long journey. The term "hospice" was first used to mean providing specialized care for dying patients in 1967 by Dame Cicely Saunders at St. Christopher's Hospice in London.

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Today, hospice is a philosophy of healthcare that provides humane and compassionate care for people in the last phases of incurable disease. Hospice affirms life and does not hasten or postpone death. The philosophy recognizes death as the final stage of life and seeks to allow patients to continue an alert, pain-free life so that their last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones.

Hospice care is usually undertaken when the patient can no longer benefit from curative treatment. The patient, patient's family, and doctor decide together when hospice services should begin. Usually this is when the patient's life expectancy is thought to be six months or less. Hospice care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the patient's home, a hospital, nursing home, or private hospice facility. Most hospice care in the United States occurs in the home, with a family member or members serving as the main hands-on caregiver. Hospice can bring hope for a quality of life during the advanced stage of leukemia.