A Tough Topic...

When it comes to hospice and palliative care, it is sometimes difficult to imagine that there could be many positives. But once you truly understand it, you may very well change your thinking.

Hospice care involves the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of a person and their family when that person is near the end of life. The need to alleviate pain and to keep one comfortable is essential so that the person and his or her family can fully live and embrace the time that they have left.

Hospice and palliative care represent two different aspects of care with similar philosophies. Palliative care is defined as any comfort care provided while a person is receiving treatment or medical care that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms and pain. Palliative care services are often provided in acute care hospitals, but are sometimes provided within a person’s home and serves as a ‘bridge’ between traditional homecare and hospice care. Hospice care delivers palliative care, specifically to those at the end of life who are no longer seeking curative care. Over 80 percent of hospice care is provided in a patient's home, with the remainder provided to patients residing in long-term care facilities or in free-standing hospice residential facilities.

For loved ones dealing with the stress and distress of caring for a terminally ill person, quality of life – especially near the end of life – is the single most important goal. While it is a tough topic, there is good news regarding hospice care.

A new study conducted by the Duke Medical Center reported that the costs of hospice care, as opposed to hospital care, are less for most end-of-life patients, and that quality of care and costs savings coincide. This means that while the cost is less, the quality of care is greater – creating a double positive for those facing a difficult situation. Hospice workers have long suspected that their care improves quality of life and saves payers money – and now a major study has concluded just that.

How exactly is the quality of care better than that provided in a hospital setting? The benefits abound – and many are personal for the patient facing the end of life. Most people want to be in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by familiar people and objects and away from the sterile and institutional feel of a hospital. By feeling at ease within a familiar environment, the emotional benefits of lowered stress and disruption often result in physical benefits.

Pain is the most feared symptom at the end of life, and it has major social, emotional and spiritual implications. Individualized pain management, administered through a dedicated home hospice nurse, is vital to reducing anxiety about discomfort – for both the patient and his or her loved ones.

The good news about hospice: it has been proven that quality and cost are both on the patient’s side. During a difficult time, home hospice teams provide the medical attention and emotional support that is critical to maintaining, or even improving, the quality of life.

For more information about hospice and palliative care and/or Celtic Healthcare, please visit www.celtichealthcare.com or call 800-355-8894.