How hospice helps patients and families

The true meaning of living life

Monday, January 3, 2011

*Brian Payne - Catholic Hospice

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Have you ever known anyone that has been referred to hospice care? If not, you probably will at some point. The ideas that flood your head will be endless and often make you feel hopeless.

Common sense tells us that we are all going to die one day, but not until we are confronted with a serious situation. People are generally not afraid of death itself but of the dying process, namely, afraid of abandoning their family, being in pain or losing hope for a cure. They may fear they are being a burden to their loved ones and that their loved ones will suffer through having to see them withering and moaning in agony.

Death is a part of life. For those of religious and spiritual persuasions, death is but a small part of the journey of life. Dying does not mean giving up hope. The fact is our hopes change. We may hope to spend more quality time with our loved ones. We may hope to be in a more appropriate or comfortable environment. We may hope to be pain free or not have our loved ones suffer because they care so much for us.

Dying does not have to be a traumatic experience. There are so many different ways to treat symptoms, including physical, psychological and spiritual ways. This is the hospice model of healthcare. Once a physician has determined a patient is eligible to receive hospice care and the patient agrees to receive services, a team of people begin visiting wherever the patient calls home: assisted living facilities, nursing homes, or the patient's home. Home is a special place, and being in familiar surroundings with loved ones is often the best for the patient.

Hospice is more than doctors. The team is interdisciplinary, consisting also of nurses, hospice aides, bereavement counselors, social workers, volunteers and chaplains. Hospice seeks to take care of not only the patient, but also the patient�s loved ones and friends. The doctors and nurses provide the primary medical care in conjunction with the patient�s primary physician; hospice aides assist patients in the activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing; bereavement counselors help patients and their families through the grief process; chaplains see to the spiritual needs, providing sacraments, scripture, prayer, and pastoral counseling, as well as assuring that the patient's priest, pastor, minister, or rabbi is in contact; social workers assist with any placement issues, funeral arrangements and oftentimes assist in transitions to and from hospital to home; and volunteers provide companionship, conversing with patients, reading to them, playing cards and board games with them.

Catholic Hospice also has a special Wishes Granted program to assist patients with last wishes, such as bringing a child home from the military to visit one last time, or even eating out at a favorite restaurant. And hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance policies with little or no cost to patients.

The hospice model is the way our Lord meant it to be: take care of those who need us most; allow patients to die with dignity, grace, peace and most of all, comfort. At Catholic Hospice, anyone who needs hospice care will receive hospice care.

Comments from readers

Lisette Reina-Naranjo - 01/04/2011 12:46 AM

Great article....there are many hospices out there but Catholic Hospice is special.....as a Catholic our family needed comfort and guidance at such a difficult time.....The 3 weeks we had at home with my dad were crucial to our grieving process.....any time we needed assistance someone was there.....we were able to say goodbye at home...in the room he loved and with my mother and his children and grandchildren at his side. We were able to be with him as long as we wanted after he passed and the nurse told us when it was almost time so we could say goodbye....We washed him and dressed him ....and somehow this gave us comfort as well as knowing that he was finally in a better place and the suffering was over......I'm not sure this would have been possible in a hospital or other hospice setting.....We appreciate everything they did and have no regrets.....

Eduardo Perez - 01/03/2011 09:15 PM

I agree with Mr. Payne 100%. We all know we are alive, but we never think about dying. We know we will die but we don't ever want to talk about it. Hospice is a scary word. So many, including me, think it is the end of the road when the word hospice is said to us. My dad passed away peacefully with the medical and spiritual support of Catholic Hospice. They were unbelievable angels. They don't talk about death! They talk about life and living. They talk about whatever we, the family, wanted to talk about. The staff immediately became part of our family from day one. They were there to help us. They helped us cope with the devastation we encountered by telling us our dad was going to die.....soon. I must say it was hard, but without the help of the Catholic Hospice people, we never would have made it. I remember when the nurse sat with my dad throughout the night and sang bible hyms to him which was his favorite because he was ankshus. I peeked in the room one night and the nurse was rubbing dad's forhead talking to him in a voice that reminded me of an angel. I can't say enough about God's children at Catholic Hospice. Although I hate that my dad left us early, I am so thankeful that Catholic Hospice was there for us. I will never ever forget them. Thank you for letting me express my opinions. God Bless.

Nereida Vasquez - 01/03/2011 04:57 PM

I really believe that Catholic Hospice is so important to our community .This article is very good it truly explaines what Catholic Hospice is all about and that it is a team effort. So many people are unware of what Catholic Hopsice does and how we can help so many families . Congratulation the article explain just what to expect and how many ways we can help others.

linda bonnick - 01/03/2011 04:39 PM

The article is well written and informative. I really like the article because it informs the reader about hospice.

Lisette Reina-Naranjo - 01/04/2011 12:46 AM: Great article....there are many hospices out there but Catholic Hospice is special.....as a Catholic our family needed comfort and guidance at such a difficult time.....The 3 weeks we had at home with my dad were crucial to our grieving process.....any time we needed assistance someone was there.....we were able to say goodbye at home...in the room he loved and with my mother and his children and grandchildren at his side. We were able to be with him as long as we wanted after he passed and the nurse told us when it was almost time so we could say goodbye....We washed him and dressed him ....and somehow this gave us comfort as well as knowing that he was finally in a better place and the suffering was over......I'm not sure this would have been possible in a hospital or other hospice setting.....We appreciate everything they did and have no regrets.....

Eduardo Perez - 01/03/2011 09:15 PM: I agree with Mr. Payne 100%. We all know we are alive, but we never think about dying. We know we will die but we don't ever want to talk about it. Hospice is a scary word. So many, including me, think it is the end of the road when the word hospice is said to us. My dad passed away peacefully with the medical and spiritual support of Catholic Hospice. They were unbelievable angels. They don't talk about death! They talk about life and living. They talk about whatever we, the family, wanted to talk about. The staff immediately became part of our family from day one. They were there to help us. They helped us cope with the devastation we encountered by telling us our dad was going to die.....soon. I must say it was hard, but without the help of the Catholic Hospice people, we never would have made it. I remember when the nurse sat with my dad throughout the night and sang bible hyms to him which was his favorite because he was ankshus. I peeked in the room one night and the nurse was rubbing dad's forhead talking to him in a voice that reminded me of an angel. I can't say enough about God's children at Catholic Hospice. Although I hate that my dad left us early, I am so thankeful that Catholic Hospice was there for us. I will never ever forget them. Thank you for letting me express my opinions. God Bless.

Nereida Vasquez - 01/03/2011 04:57 PM: I really believe that Catholic Hospice is so important to our community .This article is very good it truly explaines what Catholic Hospice is all about and that it is a team effort. So many people are unware of what Catholic Hopsice does and how we can help so many families . Congratulation the article explain just what to expect and how many ways we can help others.

linda bonnick - 01/03/2011 04:39 PM: The article is well written and informative. I really like the article because it informs the reader about hospice.