Families tend to delay calling for hospice services until just the last days or weeks of a loved one's life primarily because of misconceptions about what it is all about, according to a recent post,"Avoiding the Call to Hospice," by Paula Span on The New York Time blog, The New Old Age.
Span says many people think hospice is a place to go to die, rather than a type of home-based care that offers a multitude of services, many of which are covered by Medicare or private insurances. Some think it is about giving up on finding a cure, still others are simply afraid of the term, hospice. Span says some people equate the term with death and dying, rather than realizing that hospice care is about managing a loved one's pain and uncomfortable symptoms and offers compassinate care at home. In addition, Span says, "doctors may neglect to mention hospice care (as an option), or even discourage it."
Check out the blog post: http://tinyurl.com/oe2ss4
When patients have made the decision to no longer treat the disease, hospice care offers a range of care services for people in the comfort of their home. It does not effect of the course of the disease but can positively effect the "condition" of the patient, and offers help to family members caring for a loved one.
