Facts You Should Know About Hospice

1. Hospice care can begin several months before end of life.
2. Hospice care is appropriate for any age.
3. The right time to determine hospice care is personal, it can be chosen by you, your family and your doctor.
4. Hospice care is more a more personal alternative to the hospital.
5. Hospice care embodies a team-approach to care including nursing, social work, counseling services, spiritual care, home health services and volunteers.

Hospice Facts:

1. Only 38% of our patients have cancer. The comfort and support of hospice & palliative care can assist any life-limiting condition at any age.
   Some of the most common conditions assisted through hospice care include Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, along with pulmonary and cardiac diseases. However, any medical condition which hastens one’s life is appropriate for the comfort measures offered through hospice or palliative care – whether the individual is just days old or 102 years of age.
2. The term “palliative care” means to provide pain relief and symptom management.
   It may sound intimidating, but it is really quite beautiful. Palliative Care Clinicians are focused on keeping patients comfortable.
3. Hospice is not one organization. Every hospice provider is unique, and you can decide which one is right for you.
   It is a common misconception that all hospice providers operate with the same standards of patient and family-focused care. Unfortunately, that is not true. Some hospice providers follow a for-profit model which can mean that patient care is limited by budgets and insurance. As a nonprofit hospice provider, Regional Hospice is supported by the generosity of our donors and volunteers and it turn is able to provide hospice care and bereavement services to patients and families regardless of their ability to pay.
4. Annually, 1.6 million people receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in the United States.
   This estimated figure was provided by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation. Many experts believe that even more hospice and palliative care is needed to ensure that no one dies in pain or distress. As patients and their families have greater awareness of the services offered and quality of life gained through hospice care, they will be more likely to access it earlier.