A hospice provides care and support for people with terminal illnesses who no longer want major medical treatments. The goal of hospice care is to allow people to live out their final days as painlessly as possible, in a setting of their choice, while they and their families and friends get love and support. Sometimes people think of a hospice as a building.
Many hospices do offer an inpatient unit.
Sometimes people are admitted who are dying and who do not want to die at home or in the hospital. At other times, people with terminal illnesses may be admitted for what is called respite care. This gives the patient s family a short break from caring for the patient at home. Patients may spend a few days or a week at the hospice facility and then return home. Many hospices now also have outreach programs that provide care at home for people with terminal illnesses.