When is the best time to make the decision about hospice care?
It is appropriate to discuss all of a patient’s care options at any time during a life-limiting illness. It is never too early to call for information. People who utilize hospice services early in the course of a life-limiting illness have more time to develop personal and professional rapport with supportive staff and volunteers, discuss end-of-life goals, and create an optimal plan of care designed around patient and family wishes. By law, the decision to choose hospice care belongs to the patient.
