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Why Do People Do Hospice Care at Home?
Date Updated: December 14, 2024
Written by:
Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
People do hospice care at home for diverse reasons, including wishing to remain in a familiar and comfortable environment surrounded by loved ones and cherished keepsakes. Many older adults prefer a home setting to a clinical one, such as a hospital or a short-term stay in a nursing home.
Hospice at Home Overview
At-home hospice care provides individual and family support alongside practical, holistic end-of-life care services that enable individuals to remain at home during their final days. Alongside pain and symptom management and hands-on assistance with personal care tasks, hospice care includes pastoral guidance, family grief counseling and medical equipment. Individuals also benefit from residential respite care or hospital stays, if their condition needs stabilizing or their loved ones need a break. Multidisciplinary hospice care teams include:
- Nurses
- Nursing aides
- Therapists
- Dietitians
- Spiritual advisors
- Counselors
- Medical social workers
Many older adults qualify for Medicare funding for hospice care. Statistics published by the Office of Inspector General in March 2023 indicate that around 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries receive end-of-life care each year. Moreover, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, most people receive hospice services in their home setting, whether in their private residence, an assisted living community or a nursing facility.
Preferences for End-of-Life Care at Home
Research indicates that most older Americans prefer to die at home rather than in a hospital or stand-alone hospice center. In-home hospice care provides pain relief, medication management, hands-on help and other medical and support services that allow individuals to stay in their home environment. While personal preferences differ, common reasons for choosing hospice care at home include:
- Emotional connection to a particular place
- Proximity to family, friends and pets
- Sense of security and stability
- Family involvement in care
- Personalized setting
- Less clinical setting
Additionally, some families choose in-home care for financial reasons. Medicare pays for hospice care for eligible individuals. However, funding doesn’t cover bed and board costs in a specialized hospice facility or nursing home.