November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
November 16, 2024
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Elizabeth Watson, HRMC director of home care and hospice, is taking the opportunity to remind the public to have the important conversations with your loved ones about end of life.
“It is a common situation for families to be at the bedside of a loved one who is seriously ill and nearing end of life with no definite idea of what the patient would have wanted,” said Watson.
Far too many people wait until they are in the midst of a health care crisis before thinking about what options are available or what care they or their loved ones would have wanted. Often, by waiting too long to learn about possible options, like hospice care, people end up spending difficult days in the hospital or many trips to the emergency room and opportunities to be with loved ones at home are lost.
When a family is coping with a serious illness and a cure is no longer possible, hospice provides the type of care most people say they want at the end of life: comfort and dignity. Considered to be the model for high-quality, compassionate care for people with a life-limiting illness, hospice care includes expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support. Care is provided by an inter-disciplinary team of professionals and trained volunteers with the wishes of the patient and family at the center of care.
Most hospice care is provided in the home. Care is also provided in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospice centers. Hospice care is paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans.
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports that more than 1.5 million people received care from our nation’s hospices last year.
Hospice providers can help with information about care options and choices and ensure patients live as fully as possible, ensuring loved ones receive support as well. One of the best ways to ensure the benefits of hospice are received is to talk about it before it becomes an issue.
For more information, contact HRMC Community Hospice at 605-353-6520 or visit huronregional.org/hospice.
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