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President Obama recently issued a proclamation from the White House declaring November as National Hospice Month. As of 2008, approximately 900,000 people in the United States were utilizing hospice each year, with more than one-third of dying Americans utilizing the service. Hospice is a special concept of care that is designed to provide comfort to patients and support to their families when end of life is six months or less. Hospice doesn’t hasten death, nor does it prolong it...but it helps patients to be as pain free and comfortable as possible along the end of life journey.
What is Hospice?
Hospice is a concept of care, encompassing the patient’s needs and wishes for end of life issues.
Hospice addresses all areas of the disease process, but focuses on controlling a person’s pain and discomfort.
Hospice deals with the physical, emotional, and spiritual impact of the disease process on an individual and their family and friends.
Where does hospice care take place?
Hospice care can take place in a person’s own home, a special hospice facilty, a hospital or skilled nursing facility. It can be provided anywhere. Hospice isn’t a place, it is a concept.
Who provides hospice care?
Hospice is provided by a specially trained team of caregivers, including doctors, nurses, social workers and clergy.
Family members and friends are also very important in the hospice concept of care.
Trained volunteers help with household chores and can provide respite for brief periods of time so family members can run errands or simply rest.
How does hospice care begin?
Hospice begins when the family physician refers the patient and family to hospice.
Patients and their families can contact a hospice center also to begin the process.
Hospice staff members and the patient and family develop a plan of care.
Hospice team members make routine visits to the home, but are also on call 24/7 for support and hospice care needs.
Why choose hospice?
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The goal of hospice is to improve the quality of a patient’s last months or weeks, or sometimes, even days, by offering dignity, and support of a patient’s wishes.
Hospice helps to manage the patient’s pain and symptoms.
Hospice provides assistance for the person and their family to help cope with the emotional and spiritual aspects of the end of life journey.
Hospice care focuses on caring for the person and their family, not providing a cure. Hospice cares for the person, not the disease. For more information about hospice care, call the National Hospice Foundation at 703-516-4928 or check out the resources below.
What benefit have you experienced from hospice services?
Resources:
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization; www.nhpco.org
National Hospice Foundation; www.nationalhospicefoundation.org
www.webmd.com
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