Myth: You need family to help you if you are on hospice care.

You may be thinking that you cannot receive hospice care without your own team of family caregivers. While it is true that family members are usually taught to care for hospice patients at home, there are many cases in which this is not possible.

Patients who live alone or don’t have family or friends available to assist them are often able to stay at home on their own, or with some additional assistance from a home care agency or private duty nurses. If their needs become too great, their hospice care can then be provided at a nursing facility or an inpatient hospice center.

Simply explain your situation to the hospice care team and the appropriate care plan will be developed to ensure your comfort and quality of life.

Not everything you hear about hospice care is true.