What is hospice care?

Hospice care is person-centred care provided to people with a terminal illness or life-limiting condition. It aims to improve the quality of life and well-being of people with these conditions and enable them to live as fully as possible until they die

Hospice care looks after all of a person’s needs. This includes medical care, as well support for someone’s emotional, spiritual, psychological and social needs

In addition to providing medical care, most hospices offer a variety of services, such as:

• Physiotherapy
• Complementary therapies, such as massage and reflexology
• Rehabilitation (eg exercise)
• Information about benefits, financial and other practical issues
• Bereavement counselling
• Spiritual and psychological support

Where is hospice care provided?

Most hospice care is provided by local charitable hospices

However, hospice care is an ethos of care, and does not have to be provided in a hospice building

Most hospice care is provided in people’s homes by hospice-based community teams. In addition, some hospice staff work on palliative care teams in hospitals

Hospices are leading providers of both health and social care and generally operate on a smaller scale than the NHS and other providers

Hospices have a relatively modest number of beds compared to hospitals, but reach out to hundreds of people in their local communities by providing support to people in their homes

Who can get hospice care?

Hospice care is for people with a range of terminal illnesses including cancer, heart failure, lung disease, motor neurone disease, dementia and other life-limiting conditions

Hospice care is increasingly being provided to people with multiple chronic health conditions who have complex health and social care needs

It is commonly thought that hospice care is only for dying people.  However, hospice care is available for people from the point of diagnosis to the time they die, however long or short a time that may be

Who provides hospice care?

Hospice care is provided by teams of highly trained staff including nurses, doctors, social care workers, bereavement counsellors, therapists and trained volunteers

Hospices place strong emphasis on dignity, compassion and meeting people’s personal preferences

Are hospices all the same?

No, the hospice sector is very diverse

While many hospices provide similar core services such as in-patient care, home-based support or day care, some also offer additional services

For example, some hospices work with care homes to provide support and advice and help staff to develop the skills they need to enable their residents to live in their care home until they die and avoid unnecessary and often distressing emergency admissions to hospital

How do I find hospice care?

Your GP or hospital doctor will usually refer you for hospice care. You can also approach a hospice yourself. You can find the nearest hospice to you through national organisations such as Help the Hospices, which has a local hospice finder facility on its website. Just click HERE

News and information about the hospice care sector is published on ehospice HERE

What do hospices do to support carers?

Hospices support carers in a number of different ways including providing emotional and spiritual support, including bereavement support and ensuring carers have up-to-date knowledge and information about providing care

For how long is hospice care usually provided?

People can use hospice care at any stage of their illness, not just at the very end of their life. The provision of hospice care can vary greatly depending on what type of support someone needs and for how long.  Hospice care can be provided for days, months or even years

Do I have to pay for hospice care?

No. Hospice care is free for patients and their carers, family members, but not free to provide

What is the level of demand for hospice care?

The demand for hospice care is fast growing due to Britain’s fast ageing population and the fact that more people are living for longer with more complex needs and often multiple health conditions

A recent poll commissioned by Help the Hospices showed that seven in ten people think demand for hospice care will “rocket” in coming decades because of the UK’s rapidly ageing population

Almost half of those surveyed (48 per cent) said they were concerned there won’t be enough hospice care available in the future to support them or their loved ones if they need this. This rose to almost two thirds of people (63 per cent) among those aged 65 and over

The Commission into the Future of Hospice Care, set up by Help the Hospices, has recently published its final report recommending key actions hospices need to take over the next two to three years to meet increased demand for the care they provide

Help the Hospices Help the Hospices is the UK’s leading charity for hospice care which supports and champions more than 200 hospices across the UK.

For further information go to Help the Hospices