Hospice Care is a program of care and support for people who are terminally ill. Here are some important facts about hospice:

• Hospice helps people who are terminally ill live comfortably.
• Hospice isn’t only for people with cancer.
• The focus is on comfort, not on curing an illness.
• A specially trained team of professionals and caregivers provide care for the “whole person,” including his or her physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
• Services may include physical care, counseling, drugs, equipment, and supplies for the terminal illness and related condition(s).
• Care is generally provided in the home.
• Family caregivers can get support.

Respite care is the provision of short-term accommodation in a facility outside the home in which a loved one may be placed. This provides temporary relief to those who are caring for family members, who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home.