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Formal Definition's of Hospice

The U.S. Government defines hospice as it is practiced in this country as "a program which provides palliative and supportive care for terminally ill patients and their families, either directly or on a consulting basis with the patient's physician or another community agency such as a visiting nurse association... an organized program of care for people going through life's last station. The whole family is considered the unit of care, and care extends through the mourning process. Emphasis is placed on symptom control and preparations for and support before and after death; full scope health services being provided by an organized interdisciplinary team available on a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis.“ Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976

The National Hospice Organization further says hospice "provides support and care for people in the final phase of a terminal disease so that they can live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice affirms life and regards dying as a normal process. Hospice neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice believes that through personalized services and a caring community, patients and families can attain the necessary preparation for a death that is satisfactory to them." Purpose of Hospice