 | Paula Smith, M.A., is director of community relations for Hospice Care of Kansas. This is her sixth year with the company. Hospice Care of Kansas is committed to providing and promoting the highest quality care to those facing end-of-life issues. Hospice Care of Kansas has had an office in Parsons since 2004, Fort Scott since 2006, and recently opened its newest office in Pittsburg. Call 1-800-HOSPICE for more information, or visit our Facebook page. |
Hospice
2008-11-01 11:24:00
Make sure things are taken care of
Question: Is hospice becoming more mainstream in health care?
Answer: In a report released in 2005, the President’s Council on Bioethics stressed the importance of society addressing how we die, who will provide care giving and what kind of care is owed to those at the end of life. Over the past several decades, the health care system has provided a number of new approaches to ease the dying experience.
The hospice philosophy emphasizes quality of life for those who have chosen to no longer pursue aggressive treatment but instead receive comfort care. A recent nationwide Gallup survey conducted by the National Hospice and Palliative Care organization found the following:
•Nine out of 10 Americans prefer to be cared for at home if diagnosed with a terminal illness.
•Most adults would be interested in a comprehensive program that hospice provides. Yet, most Americans know little or nothing about their eligibility for, or the availability of hospice.
•“Being a burden to family and friends” followed by “pain” and “lack of control” were the respondents’ greatest fears associated with death. Addressing the whole range of physical, emotional and spiritual needs is what makes hospice so special.
•Ninety per cent of Americans believe it is the family’s responsibility to care for the dying. Hospice support helps families keep their loved one home and provides “respite care” for short periods.
•While most Americans believe it would take a year or more to adjust to the death of a loved one, only 10% have participated in a bereavement program. Hospice offers bereavement support to the family for at least one year following a death.
What most people do not realize is that every Medicare eligible American is entitled to the Medicare Hospice Benefit. In 1982, Medicare began reimbursing for hospice services in the home, nursing homes and inpatient units. Services covered under this benefit include the following related to the terminal illness:
• Services of a team of local professionals – nurse, social worker, health care aides, chaplain, volunteers
• All medications
• All medical equipment
• Supplies
Hospice care provides what Americans are looking for. To learn more, contact the hospice provider in your local area.
