In most instances, hospice care is provided within the patient’s home. However, hospice can also be administered in a variety of other settings including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and other long-term care facilities.
Hospice Care at Home: The majority of hospice care tends to be administered within the comfort of the patient’s home. In these circumstances, oftentimes the primary caregiver is a friend or family-member who is capable of providing around the clock supervision to the ailing patient while the hospice program remains responsible for staffing additional 24-hour on call nurses and doctors to ensure that the patient’s needs are met. Hospice programs provide the primary caretaker with the necessary training and assistance to help the patient with hands-on needs as well as emotional and spiritual support.
Hospice Care in Hospitals: Hospice care provided in hospitals varies by location as some hospitals have their own in-house hospice units while others work with hospice teams that come in and help deliver services. Individuals normally receive hospice care in a hospital when they are in need of access to additional care and services that cannot be provided at home.
Hospice in Nursing Homes and other Long-Term Care Facilities: Hospice care may also be provided in a nursing home or other long-term care facility. In these cases, the long-term care facility, like the hospitals, may have their own specialty hospice units in-house or they may look to work with local stand-alone hospice providers to help manage the services and care for their terminally ill residents.
