How to Choose a Hospice Care Program By JIM MILLER
Where can I turn to find a good Medicare-covered hospice provider? My husband’s mother has a terminal condition and wants to die at home, if possible, so I’m helping out where I can. – Sad Sandy Dear Sandy, Hospice is a wonderful option in the last months of life because it offers a variety of services, not only to those who are dying, but also to those left behind. Here’s what you should know about hospice care, along with some tips to help you choose one. Understanding Hospice Hospice care is a unique service that provides medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support to people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness — it does not speed up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice’s goal is to simply 4
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keep the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death. The various services provided by a hospice program comes from a team of professionals who work together to accommodate all the patients’ end-of-life needs. The team typically includes hospice doctors who will work with the primary physician and family members to draft up a care plan; nurses who dispense medication for pain control; home care aides that attend to personal needs, like eating and bathing; social workers who help the patient and the family prepare for end of life; clergy members who provide spiritual counseling, if desired; and volunteers who fill a variety of niches, from sitting with the patient to helping clean and maintain their property. Some hospices even offer massage or music therapy, and nearly all provide bereavement services for relatives and short-term inpatient respite care to give family caregivers a break. www.BusinessWomanPA.com
