Hospice Symptom Management
Evidence-based hospice symptom management for the nine symptoms hospice clinicians manage most often. Each guide gives you the WHO-ladder or mechanism-based framework, first-line pharmacology with dosing, non-pharmacological options, and clear escalation criteria — all grounded in Palliative Care Fast Facts, NCP guidelines, and current formulary practice.
Pain is the most reported symptom in hospice — and the most modifiable.
Learn moreDyspnea is the sensation of uncomfortable breathing.
Learn moreEffective hospice nausea management starts with identifying the mechanism.
Learn moreDelirium is a hallmark of the last days of life and affects up to 80% of hospice patients before death.
Learn moreTerminal respiratory secretions — sometimes called "death rattle" — are the sound of air moving over pooled saliva and airway secretions in a patient who can no longer clear them.
Learn moreTerminal agitation is severe, distressing restlessness in the last hours to days of life.
Learn moreHospice wound care reframes the goal from healing to comfort, dignity, and odor control.
Learn moreConstipation is nearly universal in hospice patients on opioids, and it is under-treated.
Learn moreInsomnia in hospice is rarely a primary problem — it is a symptom of something else: uncontrolled pain, dyspnea, anxiety, depression, delirium, or medication side effects.
Learn moreContent grounded in authoritative sources
Educational content only. Not a substitute for your organization’s policies, your medical director’s clinical judgment, or current CMS guidance. See individual pages for author/reviewer bylines and last-reviewed dates.
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