The concept as we know it began in the early 1900's and the program as we know it started in England in the 1960's. The word originally meant refuge for travelers. For the dying, hospice is a refuge from pain, from costly life-prolonging medical care that may be stressful and uncomfortable, and from the burden of being alone with decisions and concerns about what should be done after one's death.
Hospice care neither prolongs nor shortens life.
Its only goal is to keep the patient as comfortable and relatively pain-free as possible. A patient can only enter a hospice program if certified by a physician to have a limited life expectancy, usually six months or less. However, the patient can resume traditional care at any time. Hospice care is usually provided in the patient's or a family member's home, though it can also be found in nursing homes and similar facilities. As part of the focus on the patient's comfort, medical members of a hospice team don't wear uniforms.