An experienced senior executive in the health care sector, Ken Haglind is a past president of both the Minnesota Health Institute and the New Life Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since 2016, Ken Haglind has served as president of Minnesota Hospice in the Minneapolis suburb of Lakeville.

Hospice care is frequently misunderstood. For example, many people think that hospice is only for cancer patients and the elderly. While the early hospice of the mid-1970s primarily focused on people with cancer, the hospice of today serves patients with a broad spectrum of life-threatening diseases. It is available to individuals of any age who meet medical eligibility standards.

People also commonly believe that certain types of medical treatment aren’t available to hospice patients, and that patients must have a “do not resuscitate” order to receive hospice care. Neither of these are true.

The most pervasive myth about hospice involves patients on their deathbeds. While hospice focuses on helping people face life’s end with comfort and dignity, its care typically extends far beyond the patient’s final hours. According to 2017 statistics, the average patient spends 76 days in hospice care, and most experts agree that 6 months of hospice care is optimal.