Seasons of Caring
National Hospice Month - November 2010
November is national hospice month and this year’s theme is Season’s of Caring.
This is very fitting to remind people that life’s final season can be the most fulfilling if people and their families look to hospice for help. This doesn’t mean that the person has given up on their life; rather it means they have chosen to have quality of life till the last day. Hospice and palliative care can give the person with a terminal illness expert pain and symptom control allowing the quality of life they are seeking. Along with controlling, not curing, the terminal symptoms the person and their family will be provided emotional, social, and spiritual support as they desire.
Despite the awareness provided throughout the years about hospice care; it continues to be under utilized by families. Maybe one reason is because of some common myths that still prevail today.
One myth is that the terminally ill person has given up hope. Hospice care is redefining hope. Where the person once hoped for a cure now may hope to be pain free. Hospice care can assist the person to be able to now spend the quality time with family or maybe take that trip to the beach they always longed to do. Hope is different in hospice—it helps the person and family fulfill wishes, accomplish tasks, and help manage the changes that are taking place.
Another myth is that hospice care is only for people with terminal cancer. Only about 51% of hospice people have terminal cancer. The other diagnoses in hospice care are heart disease, dementia, lung disease, kidney disease, Aids, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), liver disease, and stroke. All these diagnoses have end stage criteria and guidelines that allow the person be eligible along with the 6 months or less diagnosis from their doctor.
A third myth to mention is that hospice is only for people who are close to death or actively dying. People and families need to understand that the work of the dying person takes a much longer process than what most people spend in a hospice program. For example, an average length of stay for a person in hospice is about 14-20 days. Whereas the person who considers hospice at the 6 months prognosis is able to receive all the things that the hospice team can offer—physical and emotional support by the hospice nurse, the social worker, the aide, and the volunteer all supervised by the physician. The observable things are skilled nursing in the person’s home or long term care facility, pain control, and symptom management of the disease process. Things that are not so apparent are having someone to talk to—be the social worker or a chaplain or just having someone to explain what is happening and then be there to support one through it. The goal is to help the person find their place of acceptance in life, make ordinary times become special times, live life the best one can, and help the caregiver (often a family member or spouse) throughout the journey with their loved one.
The end-of-life care that hospice teams provide to our health care is essential. Help remove the stigma what hospice is not. Share your experience of hospice with someone today; ask questions about hospice for yourself or a loved one.
For more information about Pike County Hospice, call Theresa Shotton, Hospice Coordinator at Pike County Health Department, Home Care & Hospice - (573) 324-2111.