Hospice isn't a place. It's a service that focuses on living; living as fully as possible, up until the end of life. As November is National Hospice Month, many hospices such as Mountain Hospice across the country are honoring patients and families coping with life-limiting illness. Hospices are recognizing the professionals and volunteers who provide high-quality care to those who need it most.

Hospice offers services and support that most Americans want when coping with life-limiting illness, according to a spokesperson. Considered to be the model for high-quality, compassionate services at the end of life, hospices have a team of providers that includes expert medical care, pain-and-symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support. All of these services are tailored to the patient's needs and wishes.

The goal of hospice is to treat the person instead of the disease, and support the family caregivers as well as the individual. The focus is on quality of life, the spokesperson said.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports:

Hospice usage in the U.S. is growing. More than 1.4 million Americans with life-limiting illness were served by the nation's hospices last year.

The median length of time people receive hospice is 20.6 days (half of patients receive care for more days, half of patients receive care for fewer days).

Yet most patients would benefit from hospice earlier - in fact, the most frequent comment from families is, "Why didn't we get hospice sooner?"

Less than half of hospice patients have cancer, which surprises many people who mistakenly think hospice only serves cancer patients.

The five other leading diagnoses are: heart disease, debility, dementia (this includes Alzheimer's disease), lung disease and stroke.

Hospice is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs and other managed care organizations. Hospices also care for people who don't have insurance and can't afford to pay for the services.

There is no age limit as most people think hospice is for the elderly.

An estimated 400,000 trained volunteers provide 5.1 percent of patient and family-related services to patients. Volunteers also assist with fundraising, community outreach, patient "Dream Team" making final wishes come true, church liaison and administrative work.

Research shows that eight out of 10 Americans would want to stay in their homes surrounded by family and loved ones if they were faced with a life-limiting illness.

Hospice makes this happen for millions of patients each year.

National Hospice Month also provides an opportunity to promote important discussions with loved ones and health care providers about the care an individual would want at the end of life. Mountain Hospice is available to speak and offers community awareness and education on many end-of life issues.

For more information, contact Shannon Putnam, Mountain Hospice director of development, or a local Mountain Hospice office by calling 888-763-7789.

This information is provided by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and Mountain Hospice.