Hospice care is about quality of life
Hospice is a comprehensive program of quality end-of-life care for those with life-limiting illnesses or injuries.
It's provided by a team of trained professionals in the patient's home, hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice in-patient facilities.
Hospice care seeks to manage pain and symptoms to emphasize the quality of life and worth of the individual. It offers medical, emotional, and spiritual support to the patient, and bereavement services for the family after death.
Hospice care is available to everyone, regardless of age, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Costs are covered under Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care organizations.
Choosing hospice is about
- comfort against physical, emotional, and spiritual pain
- retaining total control of quality of life issues
- knowing that support is as near as your telephone or computer
- compassionate end-of-life care that focuses on both patient and family
Choosing hospice is NOT about
- focusing on death or finding a place to die
- using drugs to alter the mind or body
- forcing patients and families into pre-made decisions
- limiting the scope of care in an effort to drive down costs
Though all quality hospice care is good, not all hospice care is the same.
