For situations in which the disease progression requires palliative treatment and the patient may be terminally ill, care for the patient and family is often provided by a hospice. Hospice is extended to the entire family and provided until the conclusion of the mourning process.
Hospice care becomes part of the continuum of care provided by the cancer management team as the patient progresses beyond the point that treatment intervention can extend the quantity or improve the quality of life. The objective then becomes the comfort of the patient, relief of pain and other symptoms, and acceptance of death by the patient and family.
Moving into hospice care is often more difficult for the cancer team and family than for the patient because the move is acknowledgment that no further treatment can be given. Patients who have moved into the acceptance stage of the disease and are ready for hospice care may be distressed if their families resist this transition.
Hospice care can be a service in the patient’s home or in facility that provides in-patient care. Some patients are more comfortable in their own home and their families are able to care for them with the help from hospice programs. Because they do not want to feel that they are disrupting the lifestyles of their families, other patients prefer in-patient units. The in-patient hospice also provides support through interaction with other patients and their families and a staff accustomed to caring for the needs of terminally ill patients.