Hospice: from grassroots to the mainstream

Hospice care was created 20 years ago in the United States so terminally-ill patients would have an alternative to spending months in an institution or hospital before their death. When this grassroots movement began in West Virginia in 1980, most of the care was provided by volunteers. Today, with increased physician involvement, hospice has been accepted into mainstream medicine and now offers a comprehensive range of services for terminally ill patients and their families. Nationally, there are now over 2,000 hospice programs, and in West Virginia there are 23 hospices providing care in 48 counties. Ongoing physician involvement is essential to ensure that hospices provide a high quality of care and continue to operate effectively in West Virginia. This article is designed to increase understanding about hospice services, admission guidelines and the role of the attending physician in order to improve the understanding of what has become one of the best options for care for the terminally-ill patient.