Hospice care is a service for people with serious illnesses who choose not to get (or continue) treatment to cure or control their illness. People may choose to enroll in hospice care if their treatment is unlikely to be effective or if continuing it has become too burdensome. Hospice aims to provide comfort and peace to improve the quality of life for a person nearing death. It also helps family members cope with their loved one’s illness and can provide support to the family after the person dies, including help with bereavement care (grieving). Medicare reimburses hospice services when a physician determines that a patient has a life expectancy of six months or less. Although some people think hospice care is just for people with cancer, this is not true. Hospice can be used by people with serious illnesses (such as dementia, cancer, heart failure, and chronic obstructive lung disease) who are at high risk of death, whose quality of life is negatively affected, or who are unable to perform daily tasks. Hospice care is not just for older adults but for all age groups during their final stages of life.
Hospice focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness approaching death, and it includes emotional and spiritual support for the patient and their loved ones. Still, deciding whether and when to start hospice can be a difficult decision and may cause people to feel confused or overwhelmed. Many times, families have questions regarding hospice care, such as eligibility, when to start, where it takes place, the services it includes, and whether insurance covers it.
Once hospice is ordered, the hospice team assesses the patient’s needs and develops a plan of care based on the patient’s and family’s wishes. Doctors and nurses provide medical care; hospice aides provide personal care; and social workers, spiritual caregivers, grief caregivers, and therapists provide support. Hospice care can be provided in hospitals, care centers, and at home. The hospice team works together to provide medications, treatments, and devices to ensure relief from pain and symptoms. The cost of medications, supplies, equipment, and additional help in the home, if needed, is covered.
Selecting hospice at the earliest opportunity can provide someone with maximum relief from pain and discomfort without hastening the course of their disease. Symptoms that may indicate hospice care is appropriate include losing weight over the last six months, repeated hospitalizations or emergency room visits throughout the previous six months, recurrent severe infections (including pneumonia, bedsores, or sepsis), not eating enough to maintain body weight, spending the majority of the day in bed or a chair, needing help with two or more activities (such as bathing, dressing, walking, and getting in or out of bed), shortness of breath at rest, or being told by the physician that life expectancy may be limited.
On Thursday, June 4, from 1 to 2 PM, immediately after the Rambling Roses meeting, Cathy Fuerstanau from Angela Hospice will discuss common misconceptions of this service. Please consider joining us. Since a light lunch will be provided, please RSVP to the St. Therese Parish Secretary or Marilyn Cito, Parish Nurse, at 586-254-4433 or Marilync@stol.church.
References:
- Angela Hospice
- www.nia.nih.gov/health/hospice-and-palliative-care/frequently-asked-questions-about-hospice-care
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