If you or a loved one is nearing the end of life, you might be expecting the doctor to talk with you about end-of-life care. However, many physicians are slow to broach this topic. When you feel the time is appropriate, you can initiate the conversation. Use this guide to help you plan a productive discussion. 
     We encourage you to consider making full use of hospice care. Hospice patients and their family members benefit from medical, emotional, and spiritual support, as well as assistance with care-giving tasks. People often regret not having started hospice care sooner as it can increase a patient's comfort and life expectancy, plus lower costs and family stress. 
     Hospice programs vary in the quality and range of services they offer, so ask your doctor and acquaintances for recommendations. As you shop among programs to find the best fit for your family, this brochure and worksheet will help you ask pertinent questions and keep your notes organized. You may also want to be aware of differences often existing between for-profit and non-profit hospices.
     Two San Jose Mercury News journalists have won awards for their writings on end-of-life care. If you would like to learn more about hospice, Changing the Way We Die: Compassionate End of Life Care and the Hospice Movement by Sheila Himmel (and co-author Fran Smith) is an excellent book.

     Lisa Krieger's series of articles, "The Cost of Dying," describes the difficulty of recognizing and avoiding costly treatments that only briefly, and perhaps unpleasantly, prolong the inevitable. You will find links to many excellent resources on the left side of the series webpage.