As the United State's population continues to age, there will be an in
creasing need to provide optimal care for terminally ill elderly patie
nts. Physicians have a responsibility to provide care for elderly pati
ents who are dying or in the end stages of an incurable illness. Hospi
ce care has grown from an alternative health care-movement to an accep
ted part of American medical care, and can be an ideal method of manag
ing the terminally ill elderly patient. Hospice care incorporates the
concept of palliative care and is designed to support the physical, ps
ychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients at the end of life. The ne
ed for hospice care, its development, philosophies, and general princi
ples are presented in this article.