Hospice


A program or facility that provides special care for people who are near the end of life and for their families. Hospice care can be provided at home, in a hospice or other freestanding facility, or within a hospital.

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  • Hospital

    A place for receiving medical or surgical care, usually as an inpatient (resident). An ill person in the US may be ‘in the hospital,’ and his ailing UK counterpart would say he is ‘in hospital.’

  • Hospice care

    Care designed to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than cure. The goal is to enable patients to be comfortable and free of pain, so that they live each day as fully as possible. Aggressive methods of pain control […]

  • Hospital code

    While there is no formal definition for a “Code,” doctors often use the term as slang to refer to a patient in cardiopulmonary arrest , requiring a team of providers (sometimes called a “code team”) to rush to the specific location and begin immediate resuscitative efforts. The term “Code” derives from the practice at many […]

  • Hospital gown

    A short collarless gown that ties in the back, worn by patients being examined or treated in a doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital. Hospital gowns are generally disliked by patients as skimpy, ugly, ill-fitting garments often leaves one’s backside ignominiously exposed.

  • Hospital-acquired infection

    An infection caught while hospitalized. The medical term for a hospital-acquired infection is nosocomial. Most nosocomial infections are due to bacteria. Since antibiotics are frequently used within hospitals, the types of bacteria and their resistance to antibiotics is different than bacteria outside of the hospital. Nosocomial infections can be serious and difficult to treat. A […]


Disclaimer: Hospice definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.