Part 1: Common Misconceptions
There’s a sentence our A-Team hears more than any other. It is not spoken with anger or blame. Instead, it is often shared quietly, after families have had time to reflect on the journey they have just walked.
“I wish we had chosen hospice sooner.”
Our Owner and CEO, Abb Payne, along with our A-Team, hears this sentiment consistently from families across the communities we serve. This is not about regret; it is about the clarity and support families realize hospice provides once they understand what hospice truly offers.
Hospice often feels like a difficult decision. The term carries misconceptions. Families may worry that choosing hospice means giving up, when in reality it provides crucial support and guidance for those managing complex medical needs.
Hospice brings an interdisciplinary team into the home—nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, and support staff—who work together to address comfort, dignity, symptom management, and emotional support. This care extends beyond the patient to include the family, providing guidance, education, and reassurance throughout what is already a challenging time.
When families say they wish they had chosen hospice sooner, they are not wishing for less time. They are hoping for greater support during that time. They are seeking more precise guidance, fewer unanswered questions, and moments that feel steadier rather than overwhelming.
After families navigate these challenges and misconceptions, they often experience a new understanding: hospice is not about ending care. It is about changing the focus of care.
Conversations about hospice matter because they empower families to make informed decisions, free from crisis or misinformation. The goal is clarity—ensuring families understand hospice’s true focus: compassionate, confident care.
Common Misconceptions About Hospice Care
One of the primary reasons families delay hospice is not uncertainty about their loved one’s condition, but a misunderstanding about what hospice actually involves. These misconceptions are common and often prevent families from accessing support that could significantly improve their quality of life.
Misconception #1: Hospice Means Giving Up.
Hospice never means giving up on a person. It means shifting the focus of care from cure-centered treatment to comfort-centered support. The goal becomes managing symptoms, relieving pain, and addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in a way that respects the patient’s wishes and dignity.
Misconception #2: Hospice Requires Stopping All Treatment.
Hospice care does not automatically eliminate treatment. Many patients continue to receive medications and therapies that help control symptoms and maintain comfort. The difference is that treatments are evaluated based on whether they improve quality of life, rather than whether they extend life at any cost.
Misconception #3: Hospice is a Place You Go.
Hospice is not a facility. It is a model of care that most often takes place in the home. For many patients, that means remaining in familiar surroundings, close to family, routines, and comforts that matter most. Hospice teams come to the patient, rather than removing the patient from their environment.
Misconception #4: Hospice is Only for the Final Days of Life.
Hospice care is available when a physician determines that a patient has a life-limiting illness and may be in the final months of life. However, many families later wish hospice had begun earlier, when symptoms could have been better managed, and additional support could have eased the physical and emotional burden on everyone involved.
Misconception #5: Hospice Only Supports the Patient.
Hospice care is designed to support both the patient and the family. Care teams provide education, emotional support, and guidance to caregivers, helping them understand what to expect and navigate changes as they occur. Bereavement support also continues for families after a loss, recognizing that care does not end when a life does.