their patient and the patient's family. Patients can receive hospice care when they have less than six months to live or would like to shift the focus of care from curative to comfort care. The goal of hospice care is to meet the needs of both the patient and family, knowing that a home death is not always the best outcome. Medicare covers all costs of hospice treatment. The hospice home health nurse must be skilled in both physical care and psychosocial care. Most nurses will work with a team that includes a physician, social worker and possibly a spiritual care counselor. Some of the nurse's duties will include reassuring family members, and ensuring adequate pain control. The nurse will need to explain to the patient and family that a pain-free death is possible, and scheduled opioid pain medications are appropriate in this case. The nurse will need to work closely with the medical provider to ensure that dosing is appropriate, and in the case of tolerance, the dose is raised. The nurse should be aware of cultural differences and needs and should aim to meet them. The nurse will also support the family after death and connect the family to bereavement services. In mid-February 2023, former US president Jimmy Carter announced that he had decided to forgo further medical treatment and will “spend his remaining time at home with his family.” See also Children's hospice Deathbed phenomena Death midwife Hospice chaplain Life support Opioid Pain management Robert Twycross Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance References Further reading Szeloch Henryk, Hospice as a place of pastoral and palliative care over a badly ill person, Wyd. UKSW Warszawa 2012, Worpole, Ken, Modern Hospice Design: the architecture of palliative care, Routledge, External links Caregiving Types of health care facilities