[ReignOfError]

The purpose of hospice care is to make the patient as comfortable as possible, period. They do nothing to treat disease or prolong life; their only mission is to make death as painless as possible. Addiction is obviously not a concern, and neither is overdose; If the dose of morphine or other drugs required to reduce pain is also a fatal dose, so be it.

There are a lot of different hospice providers, and their policies vary. Physicians usually do turn over the primary responsibility to the hospice, because they have a different set of priorities; the mandate to “first, do no harm” makes some uncomfortable with palliative care that may hasten death.

[fatima]

My sister was mentally ill but very smart.She fought Hospice and somehow I ended up knowing the person who owned the hospital so we got to keep her a few more months close to home.She told me she wanted to be in charge and she was till the last day when she said she was in pain and asked me for help.She was dead in 10 hours when i gave them the go ahead for hospice-what the hell does Hospice mean anyway-snuff them out.

[seemoAR]

My 92 year old mother has breast cancer and congestive heart failure. She has been under Hospice care for several months. Her nurse has saved her life at least twice. Her nurse came as soon as I called. I thank God for that woman. I guess the nurse isn’t doing the job she was hired to perform.