Hospices work closely with the primary physician and consider the continuation of the patient-physician relationship to be of the highest priority. Once a patient elects hospice care, he or she cannot return to traditional medical treatment. If a patient's condition improves or the disease goes into remission, he or she can be discharged from a hospice and return to aggressive, curative measures, if so desired. If a discharged patient wants to return to hospice care, Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance companies and HMOs will allow readmission. Hospice means giving up hope.
Hospice helps patients reclaim the spirit of life.
It helps them understand that even though death can lead to sadness, anger, and pain, it can also lead to opportunities for reminiscence, laughter, reunion, and hope-hope that hospice will enable a patient to live his or her life to its fullest.