Unexpected Aspects of Hospice Care: Fulfilling Goals and Lifelong Dreams

When most individuals think of a hospice, they think of it as a place where people go to die. Many imagine terminally ill patients who are in severe pain and require constant care as well as pain medication such as morphine. While there is some truth to that picture, it tells only a small part of the hospice story.

Hospice care is a type of skilled nursing care that is administered to patients who receive the prognosis of fewer than six months to live. Such a prognosis is also the qualifying event that triggers Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance coverage for the patient's hospice care. However, hospice care services do not have to be performed at the hospice. Many patients stay in their homes and receive daily visits by a home health nurse, for example. Other hospice patients continue to receive therapies and treatments that may change or reverse their disease prognosis. Patients that are well enough to travel may even be found on cruises and trips abroad.

Hospices typically admit patients who are in the end stages of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's/dementia, and heart disease. Such patients often require 24-hour care as well as pain medication. Families of such patients must either provide this care around the clock or be forced to commit the patient to a nursing home or hospital. For someone who has a prognosis of fewer than six months to live, the hospice can become a suitable middle ground. Hospices also offer families a much needed respite from constant care as well as emotional, spiritual, and grief support.

Unlike nursing homes and hospitals, the hospice staff works with the patient's family to determine what life goals the patient would like to accomplish in the amount of time that remains. For some patients and their families, this means comfort and freedom from pain. For other patients, their goals may entail making peace with an estranged loved one. Some patients dream of traveling the world or seeing a meaningful place or event. Hospice care staff members coordinate with the families of patients to realize these goals.

While patients are not typically admitted into hospice care until they have fewer than six months to live, it is never too early to start thinking about a hospice for a loved one. Hospice staff members can help a family cope with daily care for their loved one, understand the paperwork involved, and focus on patient wishes ahead of time. By starting the hospice care process earlier, a family is better prepared for certain eventualities, and the patient's quality of life is enhanced.