HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Buckingham, R W Articles by Lupu, D Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buckingham, R W Articles by Lupu, D

A comparative study of hospice services in the United States.

R W Buckingham and D Lupu

In order to document the implementation of the hospice concept in the United States, 24 hospices, in operation at least one year and serving at least 100 patients, were selected from the National Hospice Organization roster to participate in a survey of organization, staffing, funding, services and population served. All of the hospices offered both home care and bereavement programs but only 41.7 per cent provided an inpatient program. Ten of the hospices were institutionally based, usually in a hospital. Inpatient services were associated with institutional affliations. The average profile of patients admitted to hospice was a 60-year-old White (89 per cent), female (54.3 per cent) cancer patient (94.5 per cent) whose spouse was primary care giver (63.8 per cent). Hospices provided a wide variety of both medical and social services provided by volunteers as well as paid staff. It appears that two divergent types of hospices are developing: 1) independent, heavily volunteer hospices with a variety of professional staff delivering a wide array of social/psychological services with unstable funding; and 2) institutionally based hospices providing both inpatient and home care, greater variety of medical/nursing services, less variety of social/psychological services, using fewer types of volunteers and paid staff, and not experiencing funding problems.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. J. Kovacs Hospice research: Challenges, opportunities and rewards American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, September 1, 1998; 15(5): 295 - 300. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. L. Vachon Counselling and psychotherapy in palliative/hospice care: a review Palliative Medicine, January 1, 1988; 2(1): 36 - 50. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. P. Kaplan and P. M. O'Connor The effect of Medicare on access to hospice care: Patterns of eligibility requiring the availability of a primary care person American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, November 1, 1987; 4(6): 34 - 42. [PDF]

				D. R. Seibold, S. M. Rossi, C. R. Berteotti, S. L. Soprych, and L. P. McQuillan Volunteer Involvement in a Hospice Care Program: An examination of motives, activities American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, March 1, 1987; 4(2): 43 - 55. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. S. Lyons, M. Silberman, J. S. Hammer, and J. Johns Analysis of a Hospital-Based Hospice Program For Terminally Ill Cancer Patients: Detailing patient needs to understand complex programs American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, January 1, 1987; 4(1): 41 - 44. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. O. Price and C. W. Higgins Death and dying: Attitudes of hospice volunteers beforeand after training American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, November 1, 1985; 2(6): 41 - 43. [PDF]

				D. M. Bass The Hospice Ideology and Success of Hospice Care Research on Aging, September 1, 1985; 7(3): 307 - 327. [Abstract]

				C. M. Byrne Needs Assessment and Hospice Planning in a Rural Setting Eval Health Prof, June 1, 1984; 7(2): 205 - 219. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. N. Garland, D. M. Bass, and M. E. Otto The needs of hospice patients and primary caregivers: A comparison of primary caregivers' and hospice nurses' perceptions American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, May 1, 1984; 1(3): 40 - 45. [PDF]

				V. Mor and L. Laliberte Roles Ascribed to Volunteers: An Examination of Different Types of Hospice Organizations Eval Health Prof, December 1, 1983; 6(4): 453 - 464. [Abstract] [PDF]