Choosing Hospice

Today, one out of three people in the United States die in the care of hospice. When faced with a life-limiting illness, patients and their families need to understand hospice care and the steps necessary to access this quality end-of-life option.

What is hospice?
Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families. Patients are referred to hospice when life expectancy is approximately six months or less. Hospice care can continue longer than six months if needed but requires physician certification.
--Learn some facts about hospice care here.
--Learn more about HFA.

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HFA Webinar Available: Supporting People with Intellectual Disabilities through Illness, Grief and Loss. One hour of continuing education is available for social workers, nurses and counselors.

2010 National Bereavement Teleconference - Living with Grief: Cancer and End-of-Life Care
will be broadcast live-via-webcast and satellite on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.

Living With Grief^®: African Americans and End-of-Life Care
This special report examines African-American attitudes about care at the end of life, offers explanations as to why  hospice, historically, has not been a choice for many African Americans, looks at grief and the African-American community, and suggests ways to reach out to African Americans who are making end-of-life decisions. One hour of continuing education will be available for a small additional fee this September for social workers, nurses, and counselors.

Order the 2009 teleconference companion book, Living With Grief: Diversity and End-of-Life Care. The teleconference looked at the challenges of serving a multicultural population from time of terminal diagnosis all the way through the grieving process.

Visit our Featured Story - A Gentle Death: Five Months with Hospice.

Living With Grief: Children and Adolescents - an online course for professionals! Earn continuing education hours at your home or office  computer; only $35 for three credit hours. Register online now.

HFA's July E-Newsletter - Focus On: Using Technology to Educate and Communicate