Live Discharges of Patients in Hospice Home Settings—Relief or Grief: A Narrative Study

Jacek T. Soroka, Amanda L. Paulson-Blom, Alla Blotsky, Jennifer L. Derrick, Margaret T. Mudroch, Spiritual Care , Social Services , Palliative Care , Blotsky and Derrick, and Hospice Office , Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Minnesota

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®

Published online on October 08, 2025

Abstract

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundApproximately 20% of hospice patients in the US are discharged alive, often due to Medicare regulations. Such discharges are frequently perceived by caregivers as abandonment or expulsion, especially when they occur without follow-up or planning ...