Hospice Cares For Terminally Ill During Final Stage Of Life

LAKEWOOD, CO - AUGUST 31: Terminally ill patient Bud Anderson holds therapy dog, yorkie Sally Sue, during a home hospice visit to his house on August 31, 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado. The non-profit Hospice of Saint John, which serves on average 200 people at a time, most of them home care patients, is the second oldest hospice in the United States. The hospice accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay, although most are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. The goal of the center is to maintain quality of life, manage pain, and offer spiritual guidance for residents in the last stage of their lives. End of life care has become a contentious issue in the current national debate on health care reform. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)