Hospice care is an end-of-life option providing dying patients and their loved ones with comfort, compassion and dignity. Care involves a team-oriented approach to medical care pain management and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's wishes and needs. The hospice team develops a care plan that includes meeting the individual patients need for pain management and symptom control as well as medical and support services.

Counseling for the patient and loved ones is part of the hospice program. Bereavement support is offered to families for at least one year following the death of patient. The focus is on caring, not curing and the care may be provided in the patient's homes, freestanding hospice facilities, hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

Palliative care is comprehensive, interdisciplinary care focusing primarily on comfort and support for terminally ill patients and their families. Aspects also include psychosocial and spiritual care and maximized patient-determined quality of care. Compared to conventional care, palliative care seems to improve patient and family satisfaction and identification of needs, while reducing overall cost through decreased use of acute hospital care.

Private health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid cover care for patients who meet the eligibility criteria some programs may have co-pays and deductibles that families pay to receive care. Contact the agency for specific coverage information.