Hospice’s Growing Pains
Judging by the numbers, this type of care is still underrecognized.
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80
Percentage of people 45 or older in a 1999 survey who did not know the meaning of hospice
33
Percentage of people who died in the United States in 2005 under hospice care
75.9
Percentage of hospice patients who die in private residences, nursing homes or other residential facilities. In the general population, 23.4% die at home.
18
Percentage of medical students and residents in a 2003 survey who reported receiving formal end-of-life training
30
Percentage of hospice care provided by for-profit organizations in 2004, a fourfold increase over the preceding decade
9
Times by which profit margins of large hospices owned by publicly traded companies are higher than those of large nonprofits. (One 2004 study found that for-profits were far less likely to provide a full range of services than were nonprofits.)
$117.10
Average daily cost of routine hospice care, according to a 2001 study
$500
Average daily cost of end-of-life hospital care
