Eldercare and Hospice: Myth vs. Fact
Posted by Home Helpers on Tue, Jun 22, 2010
Hospice care is about helping patients live each day of their lives to the fullest extent possible, and providing support to both patients and families. When making a decision about hospice care, it helps to have a good understanding of what hospice is, and what it isn't. Here are some of the most common misconceptions about hospice, along with the true facts about this special kind of care.
Myth: Hospice Means That The Patient Will Soon Die.
Fact: Hospice does NOT mean giving up hope or that death is imminent. The earlier a hospice program begins, the better chance to stabilize and even improve a medical condition and address other needs. In fact, some patients actually improve and may be discharged from hospice care.
Myth: Hospice Is Only for Cancer Patients.
Fact: Many hospice patients have heart ailments, dementia, chronic lung and pulmonary issues, and other life-limiting conditions.
Myth: Hospice Is Just for the Patient.
Fact: Quality of life for the patient, and also family members and other caregivers, is the highest priority. Pain/symptom management, comfort, dignity and emotional support are there for both the patient and family.
Myth: Hospice is a Place.
Fact: Hospice care usually takes place in the comfort of your home, but can be provided in any environment in which you live, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and residential care facilities.
Myth: Families Should be Isolated from A Dying Patient.
Fact: To help counteract the fear of their own mortality and the mortality of their loved ones, hospice staff believes that when family members, including children, experience the dying process in a caring and supportive environment, it helps greatly in the transition, understanding the process, and offers added emotional support.
Myth: Hospice Means Giving Up Hope.
Fact: Hospice focuses on maximizing the quality of life based on an individual’s choices so that the person may live life as fully as possible for as long as possible. It in no way indicates nor promotes giving up or that a patient is terminal.
Myth: Families Have to Pay for Hospice Care.
Fact: Hospice care is a Medicare benefit. Most private insurers also cover hospice as well. And, many hospice plans cover costs based on how much an individual can afford to pay.
Myth: Hospice is Only Used When Someone Needs a Significant Amount of Pain Medication.
Fact: Hospice is designed to maximize the quality of life, relationships, and experiences at the end of one’s life. This is accomplished by the provision of not only medical care, but also social, psychological, and spiritual support given by an inter-disciplinary team that includes a hospice physician, nurse, counselor, chaplain volunteers and other professionals.
Myth: Patients Can’t Receive Curative Treatments While on Hospice.
Fact: Usually determined on a case-by-case basis, some hospices accept patients receiving “aggressive therapy” aimed at managing or alleviating their symptoms. While the hospice Medicare benefits require beneficiaries to forego curative treatments, some will and can accept additional therapy for pain and disease management.
So when thinking about a hospice program for your loved one, remember the goal of hospice is to treat the person instead of the disease, and support the family caregivers as well as the individual. The focus is on quality of life, not the length of time left to live. And, with an estimated 400,000 trained volunteers nationwide, there is a program that is right for your loved one’s special situation and needs. Hospice is not about dying; hospice is living every moment fully.