Care for the old and the aged is a demanding task and if the home members are not up for it engaging the services of a hospice is the only option that can see you out of this mess.

Death is often regarded as a tragedy and none of us is prepared for it. For the old and aged who are suffering from terminal illnesses it may be a matter of time before they are call ed up to be reunited with the creator. Family members thinking about this get stressed out and fall into lapses during these times. Psychological and spiritual healing is a must for the patients as well as the family members so that this tragedy is not viewed as a punishment but as a fact that everyone doesn't stay for eternity and has to die at some point of time.

The hospice is basically an establishment or a facility that caters to need of dying patients in hopes to see that they are comfortable during their last few days on the earth.

Workers and professionals at a hospice ensure that proper care is taken so that those who are suffering are cared for thoroughly and their psychological as well as spiritual needs are fulfilled.

Though by choosing a hospice you are assured of professional help as and when you need it, it also has a lot of room for many attributes that are not connected with the service rendered by this industry.

The advantages of hospice and palliative care are as follows:

• There will always be a person or a professional on call who will see to the daily care of the patient.

• Medications and other requisite help will and formalities will be seen to by the professional on duty

• Duties involve providing emotional and physical relief to the patient during their time of sufferings in a professional manner.

The disadvantages of a hospice are generally related to how the patient feels in the company of an outsider who is there to take care of him/her. You may notice that most of the time a person who is dying would like to be close to the family members rather than be associated with a person who has just steeped into his/her life for formality sake.

Though it may be seen that patients stricken with Alzheimer's and cancer may not appreciate the help provided by an outsider but they will be more at home if they are treated and care for by their family members.

Care should be taken by those in the hospice industry to see that they do not interfere with the medical diagnosis of the individual which may cause and insurance cover to lapse. Generally it is the unspoken rule for hospice care givers to indulge in diagnosis of the ailments a person is suffering from and concentrate on relieving pain and tension associated with the fact of dying.

Hospice is generally defined as the care provided to a dying individual strictly abiding by the rules and regulations of the insurance company.