Would You Be Amenable to Hospice Care?

Health Quizzes

Is Hospice Care Right For You?

Hospice is for patients whose illness no longer responds to aggressive, cure-oriented treatments. Hospice provides pain and symptom relief, as well as emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families.
Hospice patients typically are in their last six months of life. Approximately 2/3 of hospice patients are over the age of 65.
Hospice is designed to relieve physical and emotional pain while giving social and spiritual support to the dying and their families. After the death of a loved one, many hospice programs give counseling to the patient's loved ones. While hospice can be a godsend to some families, it is not right for everyone. The following may help you decide if hospice care would be right for you if you were ever to become terminally ill.

After you have finished, click "Done" to find out your results.

Is there a circumstance under which your long-term quality of life would be so poor that you wouldn't want your life prolonged artificially?
Yes No

Can you imagine a circumstance under which you would be willing to turn over your care to a team of people who, while strangers to you, are trained to give physical, emotional and spiritual comfort to dying patients and their families?
Yes No

Would the person who would most likely to be your primary caregiver be willing to coordinate your care with a hospice team?
Yes No

Have you signed advance directives, which consist of a living will and a health care power of attorney (health care proxy)?
Yes No

Is it important to you to receive spiritual and emotional support, as well as pain control, during the dying process?
Yes No

If you had a choice, is it important to you to be able to die at home?
Yes No

Would you want your loved ones to get social support during your illness and grief counseling after you die?
Yes No

Sources:

Hospice Foundation of America
National Hospice Organization
Compassion and Choices

This screening assessment was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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