HOSPICE …IT’S NOT A DEATH SENTENCE!
For many years Hospice was viewed as an organization that was called in for the final days of the terminally ill expressing a desire to comfortably die at home. In recent years the full value of Hospice, and their services have been brought to light by organizations like AARP, and hospital social service workers.
Hospice is in reality, a concept of care. Jane Lincoln, a health educator at AARP, defines Hospice “as a team approach to care giving.” She further defines that “hospice involves nurses, social workers, home health aids, and even chaplains, all on call to administer care to disabled and their families. Individuals are typically referred to hospice when they have a life-limiting illness or injury and are expected to live no longer that six months.”
Many disabled citizens have children that feel the responsibility of care giving to their elderly parents is beyond their abilities, or do not have the time in their busy day to day activities to supply proper care for their parents. So to unburden themselves, they send off their parents to a nursing home. However, those senior citizens that do have children that have a very strong desire to make their parents last days as pleasant, and surrounded by their loved ones, have the option of calling in hospice for professional services provided at home.
According to Vallerie Martin, RN, case manager for Community Hospices in Washington, D.C. “Many of the disabled turn to hospice with only weeks to live.” She believes this may have to do with the common misconception that if the disabled elect to undergo hospice care, this means they are giving up hope.
“Hospice is not a death sentence.” It is true that hospice’s primary focuses is on caring rather than curing. One of the greatest benefits to the family and the disabled is the that medical support is there. This allows leaving room for the family to care for the disable’s personal needs. The doctors can provide attention, and diagnose the medical issues, like slow or irregular breathing. All the while the family can focus their attention on the range of emotions the disabled family member and family may be feeling.
References:
Mservicemagic – http://www.servicemagic.com/resources.Senior-Care.94.html
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