Hospice care is for patients with prognosis of six months or less to live.

Hospice care is for patients with prognosis of six months or less to live.

• A. Six months or less to live
• B. One year or more to live
• C. No terminal illness
• D. Immediate palliative care only during crisis

Answer: (A)

Hospice care is based on a prognosis of six months or less to live, with the focus on comfort, quality of life, and support for the patient and family rather than curative treatment. This prognosis-guided eligibility distinguishes hospice from other forms of care. Palliative care, while sharing the goal of relief from suffering, can be provided at any stage of serious illness and alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments, whereas hospice is specifically for those nearing end of life with a limited life expectancy. Hospice services are typically delivered by an interdisciplinary team and can be provided at home or in a care setting, offering symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual support, and bereavement resources. The statement is correct because the six-month-or-less prognosis criterion best defines hospice eligibility; it is not limited to people with a year or more to live, nor to those without a terminal illness, and it is not restricted to crises but intended for ongoing end-of-life support.

Hospice care is based on a prognosis of six months or less to live, with the focus on comfort, quality of life, and support for the patient and family rather than curative treatment. This prognosis-guided eligibility distinguishes hospice from other forms of care. Palliative care, while sharing the goal of relief from suffering, can be provided at any stage of serious illness and alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments, whereas hospice is specifically for those nearing end of life with a limited life expectancy. Hospice services are typically delivered by an interdisciplinary team and can be provided at home or in a care setting, offering symptom management, psychosocial and spiritual support, and bereavement resources. The statement is correct because the six-month-or-less prognosis criterion best defines hospice eligibility; it is not limited to people with a year or more to live, nor to those without a terminal illness, and it is not restricted to crises but intended for ongoing end-of-life support.