Settings of Care within Hospice: New Options and Questions about Dying "At Home"

Although place of death has been routinely studied in end-of-life (EOL) care, more analysis on place of death within hospice is needed because of the recent, dramatic rise in the number of hospice patients dying in inpatient settings. Using a case study to illustrate the complexity of determinants of place of death within hospice, this article highlights important known factors and elucidate gaps for further research. Individual and system level factors, sociocultural meanings, caregiving and preferences are shown to have important implications. Additionally, the unique components of home hospice, inpatient hospice and transitions between these settings may have a fundamental role in the future of quality EOL care. Further research on determinants of hospice settings of care is essential to the care of older adults at the end of life.