MYTHS ABOUT HOSPICE continued...

Fiction: A physician decides whether a patient should receive hospice care and which agency should provide the care.
Fact: It is the patient's right to determine when hospice is appropriate and which program suits his/her needs. The physician's role is to recommend care, whether hospice or traditional curative care.


Fiction: To be eligible for hospice care, a patient must already be bedridden.
Fact: Hospice care is appropriate at the time of the end-of-life prognosis, regardless of the patient's condition. Many of the patients served by hospice continue to lead productive and rewarding lives. Together, the patient, family, and physician determine when hospice services should begin.







 

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