10 Myths about Hospice
Courtesy The Denver Hospice, East Denver LIVING WELL Magazine
Last year 1.5 million dying Americans were served by hospice providers across the nation, yet there are many myths about hospice.
Susan Lasker Hertz, vice president of hospice services for The Denver Hospice, dispels some of the myths of hospice.
Myth No. 1: Hospice is where you go when there is nothing more a doctor can do.
“Hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care providing, medical, emotional and spiritual care focusing on comfort and quality of life,” says Lasker Hertz. “Most of our patients are cared for in their own homes by a team of professionals but we also care for people in retirement and assisted living communities and in skilled nursing facilities.”
For those with acute symptoms, The Denver Hospice operates its Inpatient Care Center at Lowry, which has 24 private suites, a family kitchen and day rooms, plus round-the-clock care in a homelike setting.
Myth No. 2: Hospice is only for the last days of life.
“Hospice patients and families can receive care for six months or longer, depending on the course of the illness,” says Lasker Hertz. “Hospice care is most beneficial when there is sufficient time to manage symptoms and establish a trusting relationship.”
Myth No. 3: Choosing hospice means giving up hope.
“Hospice provides comfort and quality of life when the hope for cure is no longer possible,” says Lasker Hertz. “The hope for living each day to the fullest becomes the focus. The hospice team helps patients and families define goals and quality of life.”
Myth No. 4: Good care at end of life is very expensive.
Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries pay little or nothing for hospice. Most insurance plans, HMOs and managed care plans include hospice coverage.
“Nearly everything from medical equipment and visits by specially-trained staff to medications are included in hospice coverage plans,” says Lasker Hertz. “The Denver Hospice has programs to care for indigent and uninsured patients.”
Myth No. 5: You can’t keep your own doctor if you enter hospice.
“Our hospice physicians and teams work closely with each patient’s doctor to determine a plan of care,” says Lasker Hertz.
Myth No. 6: Choosing hospice means giving up all medical treatment.
The reality is that hospice places the patient and family at the center of the care-planning process and provides high-quality pain management and symptom control.
Myth No. 7: Hospice only cares for patients in their homes.
“Most patients choose to die at home surrounded by their loved ones,” says Lasker Hertz. “The Denver Hospice cares for patients wherever they call home, including long-term skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.”
Myth No. 8: Hospice is just for the elderly.
Hospice serves anyone facing a life-limiting illness, regardless of age.
Myth No. 9: Families are not able to care for people with terminal illnesses.
Hospice involves families and offers professional support and training to help them care for their loved ones.
Myth No. 10: Hospice care starts when someone is close to dying and ends at death.
“The focus of hospice palliative care starts at the time of diagnosis or acute phase of the terminal illness and extends beyond the patient’s death to the family during bereavement,” says Lasker Hertz. The Denver Hospice Grief Center is open to anyone in the community whether their loss is a hospice death or not.
Last year, The Grief Center served more than 3,600 adults through private counseling, support calls, and grief support groups.
Children receive specialized grief counseling in Footprints Children’s Grief Center, which offers individual counseling and support to children facing the death of a loved one.
The Denver Hospice serves a nine-county metro area. For more information on hospice contact The Denver Hospice, 501 S. Cherry St., Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246; 303-321-2828. Visit www.thedenverhospice.org.
