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make death as comfortable and as easy a transition as possible. Hospice care is found in a variety of facilities. Some hospices are stand-alone organizations with their own building. Home care often offers hospice, and certain nursing homes will offer a hospice unit or care within the skilled unit or from an outside hospice nurse. Clinical nurse specialists provide a great service as expert clinicians and consultants to the hospice team. Whatever the setting, hospice requires a great deal of patience, expertise, understanding, interdisciplinary communication, and compassion on the part of the gerontological nurse. Respite Care Caregiving for a dependent older adult can be a demanding task. Caregivers often need a break from caregiving to relieve stress and prevent burnout. Respite care provides time off for family members who care for someone who is ill, injured, frail, or demented. Respite care can be provided in an adult daycare center, in the home of the person being cared for, or in an assisted living facility or long-term care facility. Although there are different approaches to respite care, all have the same basic objective: to provide caregivers with temporary, intermittent, substitute care, allowing for relief from the daily responsibilities of caregiving. Respite care is not covered by Medicaid or Medicare, but may be covered by long-term care insurance policies or by local social service agencies, with fees based on a sliding scale of financial need.