Part of the series: Understanding Hospice Care: A Guide for Patients and Families
Riverside’s Hospice Education Series on comfort, quality of life and compassionate care.
After learning what hospice is and when to consider it, the next question is often:
What does hospice actually include?
One helpful way to understand this is through a simple visual model called the Hospice Daisy.
A Complete Picture of Care
In the Hospice Daisy, each petal represents a different service or benefit included in hospice care.
Individually, these services are valuable.
Together, they create something much more meaningful:
A coordinated approach that supports comfort, dignity and quality of life.
Hospice care brings together a team focused not only on medical needs, but on the whole person.
More Support Than Many Expect
One of the most common things families say after starting hospice is:
“We didn’t realize hospice included all of this.”
That’s because hospice is designed to simplify care by providing:
- Nursing and medical support
- Therapies and medications for comfort
- Medical equipment and supplies
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Guidance for families and caregivers
This comprehensive approach helps reduce stress and uncertainty during a difficult time.
Rethinking What Hospice Means
For many people, hospice is associated with the final days of life. But in reality:
Hospice is not just about end of life—it’s about reducing suffering and improving comfort.
The Hospice Daisy helps shift this perspective by showing how many different types of support are available.
What Each Petal Represents
Each petal of the Hospice Daisy highlights a specific way hospice supports patients and families.
In the articles to come, we’ll explore each of these in more detail—showing how every piece contributes to a more thoughtful, coordinated care experience.
Hospice is more than a service—it is a comprehensive model of care designed to support both patients and the people who care about them.
Hospice is good medicine.
Not because it cures disease—but because it brings together everything needed to support comfort, dignity and quality of life.
To learn more about hospice services and support, learn more about Riverside Hospice Care.
