Recently it has come to signify an organization dedicated to the delivery of skilled medical care and support for terminally ill patients and their families and has become more medically oriented than it had been originally in Europe. At the present time, hospice is a philosophy and a concept of care, not a place. It strives to to be both optimistic and realistic. It endeavors to relieve suffering in any form whether it be physical or emotional. The emphasis is on providing quality of life, permitting the patient and family to maintain their dignity and independence.
Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones death.
Hospice support continues into bereavement.