While 80 per cent of Australians who have considered the circumstances of their death would prefer to die at home, only 10 per cent achieve this.

The Covenant Care Day Hospice has set out to change this by making it easier for people with chronic life-limiting health conditions to keep living at home.

The hospice offers a one day a week respite care service to up to 12 people at a time.

Palliative Care ACT executive member Jenny Hall said the hospice aimed to offer a "day with a difference" where clients could learn new skills, sing, dance, have a haircut or massage, or record an oral history.

The hospice provided carers with an important break from looking after sick loved ones.

"Caring for people at home at the end of their life can put a lot pressure on carers. And when carers become fatigued or injured or ill, there is often no choice but to admit their loved-ones to the emergency ward at the local hospital," Ms Hall said.

Palliative Care ACT president David Lawrance said he hoped more day hospices would be opened in Canberra.

Mr Lawrance said enabling people who wanted to have palliative care in the community to do so was much cheaper than caring for them in hospitals.

"We think that replicating this throughout the community would save the government an astronomical amount of money over time," Mr Lawrance said.

Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has officially launched the day hospice, and reflected on her own experience of helping to care for her parents when they were terminally ill.

"People want choice and to be able to live their life to the end in the way that they want to," Ms Gallagher said.

The day hospice receives no Government funding but is seeking financial support in next ACT budget.

The hospice is a joint venture between Holy Covenant Church, Palliative Care ACT and Anglicare and hot lunches are provided by the Jamison Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Barry Button, of North Lyneham, who has lymphoedema, said he enjoyed attending the hospice and it gave his wife Sandra a break from looking after him.

"You're meeting other people and it's good for everybody," Mr Button said.