Use of Hospice by Crystal Coast Residents

Carteret County residents use hospice at a rate that is four times higher than surrounding regions, yet there is no dedicated hospice home to accommodate patients who are referred from their homes to inpatient care.

Over the last six years, the number of deaths in Carteret County that were served by hospice has increased by an annual rate of 16.2%.

In 2009, our rate of hospice care utilization was 333.4 days per 1,000 residents, illustrating that our area uses hospice care at a very high rate when compared to the statewide average of 282.5 days of care per 1,000 residents.

Annually, many families in our area benefit from hospice care during the final stage of terminal illnesses. In Carteret County 29.1% of deaths are served by hospice. This represents an increase of 103% over the last 6 years. In Craven County, 25% of deaths are served by hospice; while in Jones 26% receive hospice; in Onslow, 21.9%; and in Pamlico, 17%.