Of the 2.5 million deaths in the US in 2011, 1 million of those were patients who died under hospice care, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports. As many people are using hospice to care for their loved ones in the final weeks and days, hospice is a source of comfort to grieving families.
The majority of hospice stays are less than one month, with just 20.1% of stays lasting more than three months. When someone is certainly going to die, hospice can help ease the pain and suffering of the ill individual, as well as provide support and kindness to the patient’s family.
Hospice is a helpful alternative to an intensive hospital setting. The patient does not need to be hooked up to different monitors, they stay in a comfortable room and family can visit at any time. Most people have hospice care administered at home, but others may stay in a hospital on a floor particularly for palliative care.
As my grandfather went into hospice care this week, I have seen how the process helps the family to heal. He is not cognizant of anything going on around him, but for his family, the care is vital. They can see that he is not in pain, and he is much less agitated than he was in the ICU. Though it is important to make patients comfortable, the family members are the ones who will be living with their sadness every day after their loved one passes, and they are the ones who need as much support as possible. They need the comfort in knowing that they have taken care of their loved one to the greatest extent possible, and they need the support to make it through their grief to not neglect their busy lives.
In hospice, a patient’s pain is carefully managed to decrease any unpleasant symptoms. Hospice teams provide assistance with emotional, social and spiritual aspects of dying, both for the patient and the patient’s family. When care is too difficult for the family, hospice is able to give the caregiver a respite and provide treatment in a hospital setting.
When death becomes a process rather than an event, families need ongoing support. Hospice offers the care the patient needs while attending to the needs and concerns of the family. When a loved one is in pain, both the patient and your family can access the compassionate care of hospice to navigate the difficult and sorrowful path.