Does choosing hospice care mean giving up hope?

No. Choosing hospice care does not mean that you have given up hope.

Instead, it means you are changing what you hope for. This could be hoping for good quality of remaining life, including more time with loved ones and friends. Hospice is a focus on caring, not curing. Its goal is to help you live each day to the fullest by controlling pain and other symptoms and keeping you as comfortable as possible. It is not meant to hasten or postpone death.

Many people believe hospice is only for the last days or weeks of life, but it can provide support for months. Many people have said they wished hospice care had begun earlier, and were surprised by the expert care and understanding they received from hospice caregivers.