As a hospice director, I always start my conversation with, 鈥淲hat questions do you have about hospice?鈥� I do this because there are so many pre-conceived notions, stereotypes and misinformation about hospice that it鈥檚 easier to find what the family is worried about before going into a more in-depth explanation.
Discussing hospice is often a very difficult conversation, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be. Here is an overview of what hospice is and when it might be appropriate to enter hospice care.
What is palliative care?
focuses on relief from physical suffering. The patient could be receiving treatment for a disease or may be living with a chronic disease, and may or may not be terminally ill. It treats the patient holistically, linking the physical body with mental, social and spiritual well-being in treatment. Unfortunately, there鈥檚 virtually no standardized model for palliative care and it receives very little funding. And while there are groups actively , it鈥檚 still a term often used in healthcare as a way of avoiding the difficult conversation of hospice.
What is hospice?
Does hospice mean you鈥檙e going to die? Well, yes, but we all are. Hospice by definition posits that a person鈥檚 disease will terminate life within . This is not a hard and fast number, as people could be on hospice indefinitely so long as the physician deems the disease process is life limiting. Patients can live and even thrive on hospice care for years, while living happier, more comfortable lives with less symptoms.
The goal in hospice is the same as palliative care: whole person symptom management, not just pain. This is especially true with cardiac and respiratory diseases, where patients may be in and out of the hospital month after month. Once enrolled in hospice, they can live quite comfortably.
Hospice involves a team of nurses, doctors, aides, spiritual counselors, social workers, volunteers and more, all working together to remove the burden of planning and caring for loved ones. No need to travel to the doctor or drug store. No Amazon packages filled with bathroom supplies. This relief helps families spend what remaining time exists being with each other, rather than working and running around.
If someone you know could benefit from hospice care, don鈥檛 wait. It鈥檚 seldom heard that someone went into hospice too soon. Usually, people wish they鈥檇 gone sooner. To find and learn more about hospice, talk to your doctor. For testimonials on what hospice can provide, ask neighbors, friends and family. You can also find information at the or the
Help your patients make the best decisions for their continued health. Explore 番茄视频’s fully and .
