Which statement about hospice criteria is NOT true?

• A. A diagnosis of six months or less to live
• B. Goal is symptom management
• C. Continuation of life-prolonging therapies
• D. Hospice cares for symptom relief

Answer: (C)

Hospice care centers on shifting from curing disease to prioritizing comfort when a patient is nearing end of life. A common eligibility guideline is a physician’s estimate that the patient has six months or less to live if the illness follows its usual course. The focus is on symptom management and improving quality of life, not on pursuing life-prolonging or disease-curing treatments. So, continuing life-prolonging therapies does not fit the hospice approach, which is why that statement is not true. The other statements align with hospice: the six-month-or-less prognosis is a typical criterion, the goal is to manage symptoms, and hospice is dedicated to symptom relief.