3-3-23 former president carter in home hospice. what is it?

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter last week entered home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays.  The Carter Center said in a statement that the 98 year old Carter “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.”  So what is hospice care?  Zach Vercauteren is the system director of Hospice Services with SSM Health at Home in Fond  du Lac.  Vercauteren says hospice care is treatment designed to make patients comfortable and reduce pain and suffering in their final days.  Vercauteren says it can be provided in nursing homes, hospitals and hospice centers, or like in Carter’s case, at home.  Vercauteren says care may include medicine, but only to reduce symptoms, not with the intent to cure any illness.  He says much of the focus is on making sure caretakers feel supported.  The average time spent in hospice is about three weeks, according to the American Cancer Society.