Hospice care in a long-term skilled-care facility.

Abstract

Although the acute care hospital cannot provide care for terminally ill patients who are not receiving active therapy, a hospice unit has much to offer such patients. Since the elderly and the chronically ill also can benefit from palliative and supportive care, a long-term skilled-care facility is an ideal setting for a hospice unit. In this article, the authors discuss the various services provided by a hospice unit, where the emphasis is on care rather than cure.