© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The state of hospice care

A nurse wearing protective gloves holds the hand of a patient.
A nurse wearing protective gloves holds the hand of a patient.

Hospice care in the United States began as a social movement in the 1960s and ’70s. 

What was once provided mainly by nonprofits, is now a $22.4 billion industry. Now, more than 70 percent of hospice clinics are for-profit businesses.

And the rate of Americans choosing hospice is only going up. More than half of Americans will spend their final days in hospice. 

Earlier this month, former President Jimmy Carter announced through his charity that he has transitioned into hospice care at home.

We check in on the hospice care industry — what it is, how it works, and what you need to know to prepare end-of-life services.

Copyright 2023 WAMU 88.5

Arfie Ghedi