Hospice Workers

The hospice concept can be traced to ancient times when shelter and rest (hospitality) were provided for travelers. Home care has also been a tradition in America since the 1880s when public health nurses began traveling to patients' homes to care for the sick and comfort the dying. However, the term "hospice" was first used in 1967 to mean specialized care for dying patients when St. Christopher's Hospice in a residential suburb of London was established. The first hospice in the United States, The Connecticut Hospice, was established in 1974. Today, hospice refers to a type of compassionate care and support given to the dying patient and to the patient's family and caregivers. In 2021, there were 5,358 Medicare certified hospice programs in operation, according to the National Alliance for Care at Home.

Hospice began as a largely nonprofit movement to provide holistic care and support to patients and their families. Today, this model is on shaky ground as corporations and private equity firms that are chasing large profit margins continue to enter the industry, which many believe should be more tightly regulated. "For-profit providers made up 30 percent of the field at the start of this century," according to "Endgame: How the Visionary Hospice Movement Became a For-Profit Hustle," from ProPublica (an independent, nonprofit newsroom. "Today, they represent more than 70 percent, and between 2011 and 2019, research shows, the number of hospices owned by private-equity firms tripled."