End-of-life care options seem to come with unanswered questions and concerns. Hospice care offers relief and a higher quality of life for people diagnosed with a terminal diagnosis. However, many myths surround hospice care. Here are ten myths and the comforting facts about hospice care.
People suffering from life-threatening diseases may no longer respond to medical care or, the individual may not want to undergo further treatment. When a cure for an illness is unavailable or treatment efforts fail to slow the progression of a disease, hospice care is a viable option.
Hospice care is focused on ensuring the quality of life for a person given with a limited time left to live (usually six months or less). People in hospice receive compassionate care, so that they live comfortably in the last phase of life. Those accepted into hospice care must be diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Myth 1: Hospice care accelerates the dying process.
Hospice services do not hasten death. Rather, the high-quality care received in hospice may, in some cases, prolong the life of the care recipient. In fact, hospice care neither aims to extend nor shorten an individual’s life. The goal is to provide compassionate care and preserve the individual’s dignity.
Myth 2: Hospice is a painful end-of-life option.
Hospice care workers focus on fulfilling the individual’s care needs, rather than attempting to treat an incurable disease. As a result, terminally ill patients in hospice care experience less pain and greater comfort. Individuals are treated with sensitivity in the last weeks or months of life.
Myth 3: Pain medications are not a part of hospice care.
Hospice programs are designed to provide relief from both physical and emotional pain. State-of-the-art medications are utilized to relieve pain symptoms and promote comfort in the individual. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is one of the most common drugs used in hospice care to relieve pain.
Morphine may be prescribed by hospice care doctors to alleviate an individual’s pain. Physicians administer morphine at the lowest effective dose to relieve pain symptoms or to facilitate breathing. The correct administration of morphine allows individuals to experience increased comfort.
Myth 4: Hospice is a specific place.
Individuals with a terminal illness may receive hospice care anywhere they designate as home. The person may accept hospice care in a private residence, nursing home, hospital, or assisted living facility. The goal of hospice is to deliver end-of-life care to wherever the individual calls home.
Myth 5: Families are not included in hospice care.
Loved ones are an integral part of an individual’s hospice care. When hospice care is received at home, for instance, the family members may be assigned to carry out tasks detailed in a customized care plan to the extent that they are willing and able.
Myth 6: Hospice care is unaffordable.
Especially in comparison to the cost of conventional medical care given during the last six months of life, hospice care is less expensive. Private insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid cover hospice care. Under Medicare, the individual is not responsible for co-pays for nursing care or medications.
Myth 7: The patient’s doctor is excluded from the hospice care team.
A hospice patient’s personal physician is welcome to join the interdisciplinary hospice care team, which includes doctors, nurses, and social workers. While hospice doctors are highly trained in providing quality end-of-life care, they work closely with the individual’s physician to increase comfort.
Myth 8: Hospice care is reserved for specific illnesses.
Anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness is eligible to receive hospice care. Although cancer patients make up a large proportion of hospice care recipients, people with heart disease, liver disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and other life-threatening illnesses are eligible for care.
Myth 9: Hospice and euthanasia are the same.
Euthanasia, which is the deliberate ending of an individual’s life in order to relieve suffering, is not a part of hospice care. Although death is expected as a natural course of life, hospice care aims to manage symptoms, control pain, and provide spiritual and emotional support through life’s last stage.
Myth 10: Hospice is a last resort.
When medical treatments are unable to cure an illness or slow its development, hospice professionals offer invaluable support. The individual’s physical pain and mental anxiety are compassionately addressed, and spiritual and emotional support are given to both the individual and their families.
Hospice care does not mean the individual and the family have given up or lost hope. As previously mentioned, some individuals improve in a hospice program; an individual who recovers may always choose to leave a hospice program and reapply when necessary.
Doctors may not initiate the possibility of hospice, but families and individuals may start the conversation. Early discussions are important, especially since most people do not begin hospice care soon enough. Quality care and end-of-life comfort are delivered via reputable hospice care programs.
Contact Assisting Hands Home Care
Assisting Hands Home Care Richmond can partner with a Hospice agency to provide additional support to the Hospice patient and their family. In many cases our services can provide necessary respite to family caregivers that are tired, stressed and overwhelmed by the situation.
Our nonmedical services are comprehensive and benefit individuals who live alone or require supervision. A licensed and insured Caregiver arrives at the individual’s home and provides a range of services, including help with personal hygiene tasks, transportation, meal preparation, grocery shopping and vital companionship to ease loneliness and isolation.
Assisting Hands Richmond home care services are flexible, as well. We offer shifts as short as one hour as well as also 24-hour care and live-in care options.
If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you with your Home Care needs please contact Assisting Hands Richmond by calling (804) 500-9787 and requesting your complimentary, no obligation in-home consultation.
