Discusses hospice care, which includes medical, emotional, and spiritual care for people who are in the last stages of a serious illness. Guides through decision to seek hospice care. Covers how to choose a program. Covers end-of-life legal issues.

The Medicare hospice benefit covers care related to a terminal illness. Medicare is a health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older. It's also for some people younger than 65 who have disabilities. And it's for people with long-term (

It's common to have a lot of questions if you're thinking about hospice. Knowing more may help.

Once you make the decision to seek hospice care, make your search easier by using this checklist to find out about different programs. Add to it as you think of items that are important to you, and cross off those items that are not useful. Make a copy of this checklist for each program that you plan to consider. Have...

Palliative care is a type of care for people who have a serious illness. It can help you manage symptoms, pain, or side effects from treatment. It can also help you cope with your feelings about living with a serious illness. Hospice is for people who are near the end of their life. It provides medical treatment to...

Health care professionals and health care systems face many challenges when caring for patients at the end of life (EOL). While hospice is designed specifically for EOL care, patients may decline it for valid reasons. These reasons may include difficulty accepting mortality, the desire to enroll in a clinical trial for...

Provides links to information about advance care planning. Includes links on advance directives, palliative care and hospice, finding a health care agent, and dealing with grief or dementia.

Focuses on palliative care as a holistic—body, mind, spirit—approach to dealing with serious illness. Explains that palliative care team guides talks about treatment, pain management, hospice care, family needs, and legal issues.