When you hear the word "hospice" does it always mean dying?

Unfortunately, this is true. Usually when they say hospice, there is nothing more they can do for them. In my experiences, death always follows.

By and large, yes. One of my best friends was a hospice nurse for 6 years, and 9.99999 times out of 10, people in her care were soon to die.

yes

Always. Not to say the person will always die, but that is the expectation and, by and large, the outcome.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hospicecare.html

To qualify for hospice, your doctor has to fill out forms stating that you are likely to die within the next 6 months. At the end of 6 months, if you’re better and no longer thought to be terminal, you’re out of hospice. If you’re still very sick, they extend hospice for another 6 months.

As has already been established this is indeed the case.My dear old grandma, god rest her soul, used to say that word reminded her of a horse going wee wee.Bless.

Yes, since that’s the purpose of it in the first place, at least in modern terms. (Hospice didn’t always mean that, but words take on a “predominant” meaning over time. If your son told you that he was gay, would you first assume that he was very, very happy?)

Hospice is the new cologne put out by Old Spice!

God that was stupid

Yes.My mother had a hospice worker come to the house.They made it easier for her.

@Cruiser Yeah, that was stupid.

hospice is medical and personal care provided by trained professionals in a residential setting, for people afflicted with life-long illness or at worse, terminally-ill. People end up in hospice when the hospital setting can no longer provide any better outcome than what has been provided to the patient. It essentially frees up hospital bed space for other patients who need the medical attention.

people are placed into hospice when the expectancy to die is within 6 months

@njnyjobs to me hospice is not about freeing up hospital space so much as shifting the focus. Instead of carrying on a war against the disease with unpleasant and at that point futile treatments, hospice staff helps patients live as well as possible with the time that they have. It’s lower tech higher “touch”.

@MagsRags Agreed, hospice care is wonderful!

It’s my girlfriend’s grandma. We just paid her a visit a week ago (Northern Michigan). :(

@jjmah First of all, I am so sorry about your girlfriend Grandma, I know how painful that is. I adored my Grandma and it broke my heart when she died. To me, a Hospice is where you go when you only have days or weeks to live, it’s normally somewhere nice so they can feel comfortable, and in a homelike surrounding, and still have the hospital care. I hope I am wrong. Best wishes.

@Dibley Sometimes you can have home hospice, with all of the services provided in your own home. Oftentimes people prefer that.

Yes it does. A girlfriend was taken there last November after she had a stroke. She slipped away on a Thursday without regaining consciousness.

Yes, death the expectation. But some can recover. My relative improved and lived another five years after a hospice placement.

Yes.