Colleen, I didn't realize that Hospice is a whole team of people on each case. My husband had a Dr., nurse, counselor, chaplain, and aides that were available 24-7. All of these people were very caring and became like family. One of his aides even came over on a Sat to help get him dressed for our granddaughter's wedding. Then she actually went to the wedding and reception to care for him so that I could enjoy myself. I have seen so many caregivers worn out, so having a Hospice team was a blessing to me. And the chaplain was able to give my husband some peace in his assurance that because he was a Christian there was no doubt that he would be going to heaven. Then Hospice had trained me on what to do to make him comfortable when his time to leave came. So his passing was peaceful, and I knew he was tired and ready to go. I don't think it would have been that way without Hospice. I think many times people wait too long to contact Hospice. Thanks to his Dr at the Mayo Clinic for suggesting that we get in touch with Hospice before we actually needed them. He was under their care for 8 mons. I was told that you can be under Hospice care for much longer periods of time if needed and your Dr prescribes such care. Hospice also supplied us with every piece of medical equipment I could imagine. Having a hospital bed and wheelchair made a huge difference. I don't know if all Hospice care is the same, but the team we had was awesome.