Hospice refers to which concept?

• A. Grief
• B. Mourning
• C. Hospice
• D. Anticipatory grieving

Answer: (C)

End-of-life care focused on comfort and quality of life delivered by an interdisciplinary team is hospice. The aim is relief from pain and other distressing symptoms, while addressing psychological, social, and spiritual needs for both patient and family. Hospice is appropriate when cure-focused treatment is no longer pursued and the prognosis is limited, often estimated at six months or less; it can be provided at home, in a dedicated facility, or in hospitals, with services including medical care, medications, equipment, and bereavement support after death. This approach contrasts with grief, which is the internal emotional response to loss; mourning, which encompasses the cultural and personal rituals and expressions of that loss; and anticipatory grieving, which is the process of grieving before the actual death occurs. Thus hospice specifically refers to this model of end-of-life care.