Everyone who works in hospice has heard the comment, "I wish we hadn't waiting so long to call hospice."  Or "I wish we had known about hospice sooner."   There are many variations of those comments, but they basically communicate how much better it might have been for the patient and family if hospice had been involved sooner in the disease process.   In this week's Five for Friday, Helen and Jerry share the reasons why hospice is delayed by doctors, patients, and family members, and also the reasons why not delaying hospice could improve the outcome for patients.  Not delaying hospice could mean better quality of life, and in some cases, could mean an increase in the patient's life span.  Studies have shown that patients who choose hospice and palliative care, rather than aggressive care, live up to 2.7 months longer.  Listen to this week's episode to learn more about why hospice shouldn't be delayed.   For more information about hospice, caregiving, and self care, visit our website at www.theheartofhospice.com.  If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter you will receive updates when there's a new podcast or blog.