Myth #2: Hospice care is only for terminal cancer patients When it was first created, hospice care was primarily for cancer patients at the ends of their lives. But today, while many hospice patients do have cancer, the majority have other life-limiting diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease and dementia. Eligibility for hospice care "requires that two physicians agree that the person's illness state gives them a prognosis of six months or less to live, [but] that does not mean that they have to die within six months," Tucci says. If the patient lives longer than six months but doctors continue to certify that they're terminally ill, they'll receive hospice care for as long as needed, she adds.
