Who Qualifies for Hospice?

Hospice care is designed for people with a serious, life-limiting illness who want to focus on comfort, quality of life, and symptom management rather than curative treatment. It may also be appropriate when treatments are no longer effective or are causing more burden than benefit.

It may be time to consider hospice care if you or your loved one is experiencing one or more of the following:

• Declining physical health or loss of ability to function as before

• Frequent hospital stays or repeated medical visits

• Increasing need for help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, or using the restroom

• Multiple visits to the emergency room for the same condition

• Ongoing, unintentional weight loss (for example, losing more than 10% of body weight)

• Living with multiple serious or chronic illnesses

Hospice eligibility is based on medical guidelines, including specific criteria for different conditions. In general, a physician must determine that the patient has a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness follows its natural course. The patient, family, and care team should also agree that focusing on comfort and quality of life is the preferred approach.