Final answer:
Hospice care is a type of tertiary health care that provides comfort and support to terminally ill patients and their families, focusing on quality of life rather than curing the illness. It favors caring for the patient in a familiar environment and is shown to have benefits for both the patient and the family.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hospice Care and Health Care Levels
Hospices that provide care to terminally ill patients and their families in hospitals, in the home, or in special hospice facilities provide a specific level of health care focused on comfort and support during the dying process. This type of care is not about curing the illness, but rather ensuring comfort and dignity during the last phase of life. The correct answer to the patient's question is that hospice care falls under the category of tertiary care. Tertiary care includes highly specialized services for the treatment of individuals who have a severe or life-threatening condition, such as terminal illnesses that hospice care addresses.
Research suggests that hospice care benefits not only the patient but also the family by reducing the burden of care and providing emotional support. Moreover, hospices aim to respect a patient's wishes to spend their final days in a familiar setting, often their own home, which can offer a greater sense of peace and acceptance in the face of death.