Get the facts when it comes to hospice care.
Thinking about the nature of mortality can make many people feel uncomfortable. So, it really is no surprise that when it comes to hospice care, people lack basic knowledge regarding the matter. Like Steve Harvey, let’s go to the surveys: the majority of people said they would prefer dying in their own home rather than in hospice. But 3 in 4 Americans are unaware that hospice care offers that as an option!
Ignorance leads to misunderstanding, which leads to fear (much like the Dark Side) and keeps many people from reaping the advantages of hospice care.
- Hospice is open to any age or condition. Many people—wrongly—believe that hospice is available to old people and cancer patients. People with diseases like Alzheimer’s and AIDS and everything in between, as well as children, can receive care. The main criterion is that a doctor must determine if the person is going to live for no more than 6 months.
- Medical care does not stop at a hospice. This is medical treatment! In fact, this is board-certified medical care. The only difference is that hospice care is not intended to cure. It’s designed to make a person’s final days as comfortable as possible. The treatment plan is reviewed and revised as the patient continues their stay.
- Hospice can accommodate high-level care patients/those who live alone. Thanks to advances in medical technology, most of the elderly are able to live in their homes and still receive the care they need. The hospice team can arrange for in-home deliveries of all the medical equipment the patient needs.
- Hospice does not promote death. The purpose of hospice is to relieve suffering and to make the last days as meaningful as possible. Hospice staff members encourage and aid the person in completing legal, emotional, or spiritual business that they wish to take care of to ease his or her coming to terms with mortality.
- Hospice is not a physical place. While hospice care can be provided in a hospital, nursing homes, or private facility, it’s most often used at the person’s home. Many people opt-out of hospice because they choose to live with their family or loved ones. But what they don’t know is that doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners can come to you and provide all their care in your own home.
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