Dying is a scary thing and most of the time we are unprepared for it to happen. It is scientifically proven that 100% of us will die one day; but with the advances of modern medicine people are starting to believe they can cheat death. An eighty-year-old woman suffered from kidney failure and an end-stage respiratory disorder. She had been there for two weeks and had told her children that she didn't want to end up like her husband living off cars. But her children couldn't let her go and got her a permanent tracheotomy, a feeding tube and a dialysis catheter. Now she goes in and out of consciousness, without saying anything or moving. (Gawande 4) Yet, is lying in a bed kept alive by machines that pop in and out of consciousness really living? Many dying patients these days are looking for a new alternative to that nightmare: hospice care. Hospice care has been around since the 1970s but was underutilized until recently. The primary goal of hospice care is to: “provide a peaceful, symptom-free, and dignified transition to death for patients whose illnesses have advanced beyond treatment. Hope for a cure turns into hope for a life free from suffering. The focus becomes the quality of life rather than its duration” (Nabili). Hospice care is superior to hospital care for dying patients because it leaves both the patient and their families better off during the final stages of death. With the economy in poor shape, medical expenses can sometimes be excessive. a lot for regular patients who receive standard procedures even with insurance. We then consider the cost of normal patients at the end of life who might remain in hospital from two weeks to six months. According to an article published by CBS News, it costs nearly $10,000 a day to maintain... middle of paper... Management (AIM) Program: Rise in Hospice Utilization in the San Francisco Bay Area." Journal Of Palliative Medicine 9.6 (2006): 1401-1411. Web. CBS Interactive, October 31, 2010. Gawande, Atul. "Letting Go." . “The nature and reasons for “inappropriate” admissions among patients with palliative care needs: a qualitative exploration of the views of generalist palliative care providers. " Palliative Medicine 27.8 (2013): 747-756. Academic Search Premier. Web. October 31, 2013. Nabili, Siamak T. "Hospice History, Services, and Respite Care Information - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. Np, nd Web. October 31, 2013."Paying for Hospice Care."Paying for Hospice Care. Np, nd Web. October 31. 2013.