How is hospice different from other types of home health care?
For most home health care providers, the goal is to get the patient well, or at least well enough so that he or she will no longer need home health services. In hospice, the staff recognize that their patients will not get well. They focus on comfort and support, rather than a cure. Most home health services do not use an interdisciplinary team approach. In hospice, all members of the team (the physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual care counselors, aides, and volunteers) work together to coordinate care. Home health care focuses on the patient alone. Hospice care focuses on the entire family. Hospice care does not end when a patient dies. Hospice grief support staff and volunteers maintain contact with the family for at least 13 months after the death of a patient. What services does hospice provide? Hospice care includes the services of a team of professionals. They provide comfort care for the patient and emotional and spiritual support for the patient and family. Hospice pro
