U.S. hospice patients by length of stay 2017
In the United States, over a quarter of hospice patients receive service for just a week or less. Hospice care involves caring for those who are terminally ill. Such care usually does not include treatment but focuses instead on making the end of life as comfortable as possible. Hospice teams can include nurses, home health aides, social workers and physicians.
Hospice providers
Hospice care can be provided at the patient’s home or in a facility, such as a nursing home, hospital or hospice care center. In 2017, there were around 4,515 hospice providers in the United States. Most hospice agencies are freestanding independent hospices, while a much smaller portion are part of a hospital system or part of a home health agency.
Hospice patients
In 2017, there were around 1.5 million hospice patients in the U.S. Females account for a larger portion of hospice patients than males and unsurprisingly, the majority of hospice patients are older than 84 years. Most hospice patients are at home at the time of their death.
Hospice providers
Hospice care can be provided at the patient’s home or in a facility, such as a nursing home, hospital or hospice care center. In 2017, there were around 4,515 hospice providers in the United States. Most hospice agencies are freestanding independent hospices, while a much smaller portion are part of a hospital system or part of a home health agency.
Hospice patients
In 2017, there were around 1.5 million hospice patients in the U.S. Females account for a larger portion of hospice patients than males and unsurprisingly, the majority of hospice patients are older than 84 years. Most hospice patients are at home at the time of their death.
