Which statement about hospice eligibility is true?

• A. It typically requires a prognosis of 6 months or less to live.
• B. It may be provided at home, in hospice facilities, or in hospitals.
• C. It excludes pain management.
• D. It is only available in hospital settings.

Answer: (B)

Hospice eligibility centers on delivering comfort-focused care in the setting that best meets the patient’s needs, not on a single location. Hospice services can be provided at home, in a dedicated hospice facility, or in a hospital, depending on what works best for the patient. This flexibility in where care can be given is why that statement is correct. Pain management and symptom relief are fundamental to hospice, so care is not excluded from pain control. And hospice is not restricted to hospital settings. While many programs use a prognosis of six months or less as a guideline, eligibility can also be based on a terminal condition with ongoing symptom burden and appropriate physician certification, depending on the region.