Hospice patients are described as?

• A. Terminally ill
• B. Acute care patients
• C. Outpatients
• D. Palliative care receivers

Answer: (D)

Hospice care centers on comfort, dignity, and quality of life for people with life-limiting illnesses. It is a form of palliative care aimed at relieving suffering, managing symptoms, and supporting families as life draws to a close. Because hospice is specifically a model of palliative care, those receiving hospice services are best described as palliative care receivers. They can be in various settings—at home, in a hospice facility, or in hospitals—and the focus is on comfort rather than curative treatment. While many hospice patients are terminally ill, the most precise descriptor in this context is that they receive palliative care, which distinguishes them from acute-care patients or general outpatients.