Vermont has improved hospice utilization since 2018 when the state ranked 46^th with a rate of only 37%. As of this report, that ranking has improved to 37 and a rate of 44.5%. Use of hospice allows individuals the opportunity for end-of-life care in the setting of their choice, often in their own home, which can be a more personal and satisfying experience than dying in a hospital, while also reducing end of life care costs.

Hospice focuses on caring, not curing.  In most cases care is provided in the patient's home. Hospice care also is provided in freestanding hospice centers, hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. Hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient's needs and wishes. Support is provided to the patient's loved ones as well.  At the center of hospice and palliative care is the belief that each of us has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive the necessary support to allow us to do so.

Updated September, 2024.

The 2024 America’s Health Rankings Senior Report shows that Vermont ranks 37^th in the nation with a hospice rate of 44.5%. See page 47 of this pdf: ahr_2024seniorreport-statesummaries_all.pdf (americashealthrankings.org)

Hospice Care is the percentage of Medicare decedents aged 65 years and older enrolled in hospice care in the last six months of life after a diagnosis of one of nine chronic conditions with a high probability of death. The senior ranks are based on data from The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. The percentage of Medicare decedents aged 65 and older enrolled in hospice care in the last six months of life varies by state. Nationally, in 2018 50.7% of Medicare decedents were enrolled in hospice care in the last six months of life.

Source: America's Health Rankings analysis of The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org; National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, NHPCO Facts and Figures.

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/senior/measure/hospice_care_sr_a/state/VT