Common Hospice Terms, Explained Simply

Common Hospice Terms, Explained Simply

If you or someone you love is facing a serious illness, you may hear unfamiliar medical terms. Understanding the language of hospice can help you feel more confident and prepared when making care decisions.

Here are some of the most common hospice terms explained in plain language.

Hospice Care

Hospice care focuses on comfort, quality of life and dignity for people with a life-limiting illness. Care is provided wherever a patient calls home, including private residences, assisted living communities, nursing facilities and hospice care centers.

Palliative Care

Palliative care helps people living with a serious illness manage symptoms such as pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. Unlike hospice, it can be provided alongside treatments intended to cure or manage a disease.

Reserve Care provides palliative care through the Navigator program.

Comfort Care

Comfort care focuses on relieving pain and other symptoms rather than treating the illness itself. The goal is to help patients feel as comfortable as possible.

Advance Directives

Advance directives are legal documents that outline your healthcare wishes if you cannot speak for yourself. These may include a living will and a healthcare power of attorney.

Caregiver

A caregiver is anyone who helps care for a person with a serious illness. Hospice also supports caregivers with education, resources and emotional support.

Hospice Care Team

Hospice care is provided by a team that may include physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, spiritual care providers, volunteers and grief specialists. Together, they support both the patient and family.

Respite Care

Respite care provides short-term care for hospice patients so family caregivers can rest, attend appointments or take time to recharge.

Bereavement Support

Grief support is available before and after the loss of a loved one. Services may include counseling, support groups and educational resources.

Symptom Management

Hospice teams help manage symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, shortness of breath and fatigue to improve comfort and quality of life.

Goals of Care

Goals of care are conversations about what matters most to a patient. They help ensure medical care reflects a person’s values, priorities and wishes.

We’re Here to Help

You don’t have to understand every medical term to make informed decisions. The Reserve Care team is here to answer your questions, explain your options and provide compassionate support every step of the way.

Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help whenever you need us.