Abstract
The purpose of this article is to introduce the social model hospice as an option for families facing the harsh realities of caring for a loved one at the end of life as well as addressing the gap that exists between desired and actual place of death for hospice patients. Honoring the individual's values, goals, and informed preferences, the social model hospice complements and enhances traditional medical hospice care. This model of care is provided in a community home, utilizing a network of volunteers and paid staff, in combination with traditional medical hospices, addressing the lack of resources and the burden often accompanying the care of the dying. Cantor (Ann Am Acad Polit Soc Sci. 1989;503:99-112; Gerontologist. 1991;31(3):337-346) introduced the idea of social care with the elderly, but recently, this concept has been expanded to include end-of-life care. Early research has shown that caregiver well-being and bereavement are improved with the utilization of a social model hospice. Grassroots, geographic expansion of this community-based model offers one solution to mitigating the growing caregiver crisis.