JANICE ZOELLER
Medical Tribune News Service
It's a subject no one likes to think about but everyone must face at some point, whether for themselves or a loved one. Dealing with a terminal illness is a very stressful and sad time but hospice care can make the inevitable a little more comforting for patients and their families alike. Here are some sites that provide a wealth of information to guide your decision making at this critical time.

Hospice Patients Alliance
http://www.hospicepatients.org This site offers detailed information on hospice care, services and patient/family rights. From the home page you can easily jump to any one of 15 topics, including patient rights and pain control, visit the hospice news center or read the site's guest book. One of the site's best features is the long list of links, including medical sites and many specifically for seniors and children. Access is provided to sites that detail federal and state laws that regulate hospices. There's also a section for health care professionals and useful information on choosing a hospice. The Hospice News Center offers summaries of newspaper and medical journal articles, though only in some cases is the actual article provided. While this site is easy to use, a purple band that runs down the left side obscures the first words of each line. The Hospice Patients Alliance is a nonprofit organization that emphasizes consumer advocacy.

Last Acts
http://www.lastacts.org This site is put together through a national coalition of organizations to improve care and caring at the end of life. The honorary chair of Last Acts is former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. Last Acts describes itself as ``a call-to-action campaign to improve care at the end of life.'' Goals include ``to bring death related issues out in the open and help individuals and organizations pursue better ways to care for the dying.'' Resources available include a ``music shop.'' Registration is required for full access to all areas of the site.

Hospice Foundation of America
http://www.hospicefoundation.org Learn how hospice care originated, the types of care available and the center nearest you. Hospice Foundation of America is a not-for-profit organization that offers programs of professional development, research, public education and information. Site is hosting an April 26 teleconference on ``Living with Grief: Children, Adolescents and Loss.'' The best feature of this site is a list of eight myths about grief followed by the reality. A sampling: ``Myth 8: Grievers are best left alone. Reality: Grievers need opportunities to share their memories and grief, and to receive support.''

Hospice Hands
http://www.hospice-cares.com Site offers a comprehensive index of hospice-related information available on the Internet, chat room and Q&A forum. It is operated by the North Central Florida Hospice. Best feature of the site is its extended book reviews.

Dying Well
http://www.dyingwell.org This is the Web site for Dr. Ira Byock's organization. Byock is a well known hospice physician and author of the book ``Dying Well.'' Much of the site is devoted to descriptions of Byock's activities, including his speaking schedule for the next year. Of interest are a series of quotes by the hospice physician broken out by topic. Here's a sample on the nature of dying and dying well: ``The nature of dying is not medical, it is experiential. Dying is fundamentally a personal experience, not a set of medical problems to be solved. Dying well can be thought of as a subjective personal experience which embodies a sense of meaning and purpose and a sense of completion, at times even fulfillment.'' Another useful feature is a long list of recommended books.

Reprinted from: The Medical Tribune