Death is a topic we would like to avoid
- col-lee-elliot-aging-graciously
- February 18, 2024
- 331
The announcement that another dear friend is in hospice care hits me in the stomach. Fear rises easily and quickly, and I can’t hold back tears. The word itself is frightening to many of us in our upper years. It may mean someone we love is going to die.
I shouldn’t feel this way because I have only had good experiences with the hospice services I have shared with family and friends. A little research gave me some ideas I thought I might pass along to those who share trepidation with me.
Here’s what I found: To be eligible to enroll in hospice, a patient must have been diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer, heart disease, dementia, lung disease, stroke, or kidney, liver or neurological diseases. The certification of two physicians is needed, and the patient and family must concur. I would rather say believe in the process. You do not need a doctor’s referral. Any family member, friend or loved one who feels the patient may benefit can do so. This is followed up by the doctor’s order to qualify.
The Hospice Foundation of America defines hospice as medical care designed to help someone with a terminal illness live as well as possible for as long as possible. It is administered by a team of trained professionals who work together to address the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of end-of-life patients and their families.
Here are some beliefs that need to be addressed: Hospice is not giving up and losing hope. Unlike other medical care, hospice focuses exclusively on a person’s comfort and dignity. A patient does not have to sign a Do Not Resuscitate Order. That is a choice. Hospice care is not limited to a hospital or facility. It can be provided wherever the patient feels most comfortable including in their own home.
Hospice care and palliative care are not the same thing. Both strive to alleviate suffering and enhance quality of life, but hospice is intended for those with life-limiting diseases who are no longer pursuing curative treatment. Palliative can begin as soon as a patient is diagnosed.
Both Medicare and Medicaid, as well as some private insurance companies, fully cover the cost of care, and that care doesn’t end with the patient’s passing. Bereavement and grief support are often included for family members.
The subject of our inescapable earthly deaths is one we would like to avoid. No one is comfortable talking about the fact they will one day leave all this behind. I will probably go out kicking and screaming, “No, I haven’t finished everything yet.”
The fact that we have an option to help us deal is something we should welcome. It eases my mind a little for those I love and even for myself. In these days of difficult healthcare, hospice looks like the real deal.