To qualify for hospice services, the patient must have a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness for which a cure is no longer probable and where acute aggressive treatment is  no longer a viable option. Common illnesses which may require admission to hospice care include, but are not limited to, the later stages of Alzheimer's disease and other dimentias, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, AIDS, ALS, and many others.

The patient must also have a life expectancy of six months or less, should the disease or illness run its normal course. The six-month time period, however, is simply a guideline. Patients may continue to qualify for hospice even after six months of service as long as physical decline is still evident.

Hospice care might be considered if one or more of the following exists, along with a terminal diagnosis:

• Multiple admissions to the hospital in a short period of time.
• Multiple emergency department vists.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Trouble eating and swallowing.
• Severe weakness, lethargy, spending most of the time in a chair or bed.
• Shortness of breath while sitting, lying down, or following minimal exertion.
• Multiple falls wihtin a six-month period.
• Recurrent infections, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections.
• Symptoms , including pain, have become problematic.