Hospice care and PH Far more than ‘a place you go to die’, hospices provide valuable palliative care to people diagnosed with a progressive condition like pulmonary hypertension. Mary Ferguson reports.
T
he hospice movement is over 30 years old, but misconceptions abound, and sadly, a lack of understanding is stopping some people accessing the life-enhancing care these places can provide. Hospice care transforms hundreds of thousands of lives every year but many wrongly assume that being offered it means they are about to die. Others imagine gloomy, depressing places reserved for the sickest of the sick. Neither of these things are true. Hospice care is truly holistic, looking after physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs; and as result, the services they offer are wide-ranging. Hospice care can include symptom management and pain control; complementary therapies such
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as massage and aromatherapy; counselling and psychological support; practical and financial advice; physiotherapy and occupational therapy to help people remain independent; spiritual care and companionship support.
FACT:
at least There are olunteers 125,000 v s g hospice supportin . K ut the U througho of their The value mated on is esti ti u ib tr n co 00 e than £ 2 to be mor r a c h y ea * million e
The vast majority of these services (83%) are provided in community settings and most people receive support from a hospice whilst they are living at home. This can include attending ‘day therapy’ support and whilst the coronavirus pandemic has temporarily limited some of these services, many have adapted to virtual consultations and online get-togethers. Inpatient units remain open for short stays and many patients benefit from the symptom control support they provide. Hospice UK is a national charity that supports hospices and those who access the care provided by them. Melanie Hodson, their head of information support, told Emphasis:
