Hospice Care

Article submitted by Alacare Home Health & Hospice.
For more information, they can be reached at 981-8000 or 1-888-alacare, or visit their website: www.alacare.com.

Centuries ago a hospice was a shelter for travelers. Over the years, it evolved into a refuge where people could find care, comfort, and support during difficult times in their journey through life.

Hospice care is not a place; it is a concept of care for those who have life-limiting illnesses. Even when medicine cannot provide a cure, it can offer comfort, care, and assistance that help maintain a better quality of life for the patient. Hospice is becoming more widely used in Alabama, yet there are still many misconceptions that may make informed decisions by the patient difficult.

One such misconception is that you cannot be referred to hospice until death is imminent. Hospice can be offered at a much earlier time than most patients and even physicians realize. Hospice is not about "giving up" but about changing focus to an aggressive management of the patient and family's experience of the illness. Hospice stresses comfort, dignity and quality of life, as distinct from aggressive treatment to cure the illness.

Hospice care can be administered in your home or even in a nursing home. Your doctor and the hospice will work with you and your family to set up a plan of care that meets your needs. Medicare may even cover the plan of care for the hospice services you need.

Many times patients and physicians believe hospice benefits can only be received for six months or less. This is not true. Medicare guidelines state that you are eligible as long as your physician or hospice medical director re-certifies the prognosis meeting eligibility requirements.

"Our patient surveys continually reveal that the number one response from families who have received hospice care is...I wish we had received hospice sooner," says Mary Rose Gray, RN, BS, Hospice Administrator at Alacare Home Health & Hospice.

The care that the hospice gives you is meant to help you make the most of the last months of life by giving you comfort and relief from pain. The focus is on care, not cure. Many times a hospice patient feels relief just knowing that their family is also receiving guidance, counseling and care during such a difficult time.

Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones the end of life. It is predicated on the belief that - through sensitivity, appropriate care, and the support of a caring community - terminally ill patients can improve their quality of life as they prepare mentally and spiritually to face the inevitable challenges ahead.