To receive hospice care, patients entering hospice care must meet certain qualifications: They need two physicians, the attending physician and the hospice medical director, to certify the patient as being terminally ill.

Furthermore, patients who enter into hospice care are typically expected to live less than 6 months. These final months are used to focus on relieving the patient’s pain and other symptoms as best as possible. The goal is to lift their quality of life so that their end of life care is as pleasant as it can be.

A hospice patient may receive treatment at a hospice center, assisted living, nursing homes, or at home. Family members will often consult with the doctor and their loved ones to better determine the best course of action for treatment.

A hospice care team will coordinate the support and services provided to the patient. This includes symptom management, available treatment for the patient’s illness, assistance to each family member, and help with Medicaid services.

The care team will remain in contact with the patient’s doctor to ensure that symptom control is regularly maintained throughout hospice care. Furthermore, hospice care provides support to the family to help coordinate the patient’s final days and any other important factors related to the patient.

This may include care team training from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), an organization that researches the effects of aging adults.

This ensures that those providing treatments have all of the available resources to care for your loved one using the latest advancements in medicine.