The Right Time for Hospice

nurse talking to patient

One of the questions we hear most often is “When is the right time to consider hospice care?” When considering whether it is time to choose hospice, it’s important to know that hospice care doesn’t mean abandoning hope. Rather, hospice means making a positive choice for quality of life and living each day to the fullest. Many families, after having had an experience of hospice, report that they wish they had chosen it earlier.

Hospice care is appropriate for those who have a life-limiting illness that can no longer be treated – or where the patient has chosen not to pursue curative treatments. Choosing hospice care early in the end-of-life process helps ease the stress of having to make a quick decision at a time of crisis. It can also help both the patient and their families in dealing with feelings of loss and grief. Many studies have shown that hospice care improves both the quality and length of life.

The right time to consider hospice care is now.