What Is Hospice?
Joan Weems, RN, Owner/Administrator Victory Home Health & Hospice, Texoma LIVING WELL Magazine
What is hospice? That is a question I am often asked. It is difficult to explain in a very few words, but hospice is an approach to healthcare that is designed to support the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of those who have life-limiting illnesses or conditions.
Hospice care as a philosophy advocates the affirmation of death as a natural part of life.
Many years ago hospice was a place for weary travelers, but Dame Cicely Saunders saw the need of care for the dying and started the first hospice in London, England. Saunders thought, “You matter because you are you. You matter until the last moment of your life. We will do everything in our power not only to help you die peacefully, but also to help you to live until you die.” In 1974 she brought her message of end-of-life care to the United States. The first hospice started in Connecticut and was a great success, but it was all volunteer. Being all volunteer posed a problem, as volunteers are scarce. That message finally made it to Congress and in 1984 Congress passed the Medicare Hospice benefit, where still today one can get end-of-life care totally paid for by ones’ Medicare.
Hospice provides support and care for those in the last phases of life-limiting illness. Hospice recognizes dying as part of the normal process of living, and affirms life but neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice focuses on quality of life for individuals and their family caregivers.
Several years ago, I attended a conference and the study of “The Quest to Die With Dignity” was presented. It stated, “Many don’t know or realize that hospice is a fully covered benefit by Medicare. One in four adults over age 45 won’t bring up the subject of death even if they know their parent has a terminal illness with six months to live. This refers to mainly baby boomers and their casual ‘me, myself, and I’ lifestyle. And one of the last things it named was that 50% of terminally ill people rely on family and friends to carry out their wishes, but never share those wishes as to if they want a funeral or cremation or to donate their body for science, etc.”
Hospice offers care anywhere a patient resides, but can also provide care in hospitals, nursing homes and skilled units.
Hospice care is patient/family focused and care is planned by an Interdisciplinary Team who develops a plan of care to manage pain and symptoms and attend to the emotional, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying and caregiving. The Interdisciplinary Team consists of a physician, nurses, chaplain, social worker, aides, homemakers, volunteers or therapy personnel. Hospice teaches the family how to provide care and becomes an advocate for the patient and family. Hospice provides counseling and bereavement care for 13 months after the patient dies.
Hospice is also required to provide medicines relating to the terminal disease that provide comfort and manage symptoms, durable medical equipment, and medical supplies.
Hospice is palliative care rather than curative. Curative care focuses on quantity of life and prolonging of life, where palliative care focuses on quality of life and death. Palliative care or hospice care is treatment that enhances comfort and improves the quality of an individual’s life during the last phase of life with the expected outcome being relief from distressing symptoms, the easing of pain, and/or enhancing the quality of life.
The law presumes that everyone wants a feeding tube, CPR, or a 911 call and that is always honored unless one has an Advanced Directive. Advanced Directives, living wills and appointing someone to be your healthcare proxy if you cannot make decisions are so important to have filled out. Don’t put off till tomorrow. Talk and have those important conversations today with the important people in your life. You will be doing yourself and them a great act of love.
Many people don’t realize you don’t have to have cancer to be on Hospice. Many diseases are considered terminally ill with a prognosis of six months to live and have very specific guidelines to qualify for hospice. This is the breakdown of those cared for by hospice:
- Cancer 41.3%
- Heart Disease 11.8%
- Debility (unspecified) 11.2%
- Dementia 10.1%
- Lung Diseases 7.9%
- Stroke or Coma 3.8%
- Kidney Disease 2.6%
- Motor Neuron Diseases 2.3%
- Liver Disease 2.0%
- HIV / AIDS .69%
- Other Diagnoses 6.5%
If you or someone you love is coping with a serious, life-limiting illness, you know it can be overwhelming. Hospice provides care to help you live each day as fully as possible. Anyone at the Victory offices would be honored to discuss your care if you so desire. We are only a phone call away because You Really Do Matter Until The Last Moment of Your Life!
Call Victory at 888-815-7922, and they can direct you to a location near you.
