September 19, 2023 (Jacksonville, Fla.) – In the realm of healthcare, the term "hospice" carries with it a unique and profound significance. To medical professionals navigating the complex terrain of end-of-life care, it is unsurprising that a typical hospice experience encompasses a delicate blend of compassion, expertise, and unwavering dedication. Hospice care represents the pinnacle of healthcare, where the focus shifts from curing to comforting, from extending life to enhancing its quality in its final chapters. The synergy between medical expertise, emotional support, and a profound understanding of human experience has long been a hallmark of the profession.

While it is not surprising to medical professionals, the general population often misunderstands the timing of hospice and the care provided.

Hospice care is specialized care that provides comfort, support, and dignity to individuals with advanced, life-limiting illnesses. The primary goal of hospice is to improve patients and their family's quality of life during the terminal illness's final stages. Here are some key points about hospice care:

  1. Hospice care is based on the philosophy that every person has the right to die with dignity, free from pain, and surrounded by loved ones wherever they call home, including the patient's home, a hospice facility, or a nursing home.
  2. Hospice care involves a multidisciplinary team collaborating to provide comprehensive care. This team typically includes doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, spiritual care providers, home health aides, and trained volunteers. They work together to address the patient's and their family's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
  3. Hospice care provided by Community Hospice & Palliative Care is accessible to everyone through Medicare or Medicaid, private or no insurance, and no one is ever turned away, regardless of their ability to pay. A person or caregiver can request hospice services by asking their primary doctor for a referral, calling a hospice directly, or through hospitalization or a long-term facility. To be eligible for hospice care, a patient is typically diagnosed with a terminal illness and has a life expectancy of six months or less. This timeframe is not an exact prediction but serves as a guideline.
  4. Hospice care offers a wide range of services to meet patients, and their family's needs, including pain and symptom management, emotional and psychological support, spiritual care, assistance with daily activities, and respite care for family caregivers.
  5. Hospice care supports the family through bereavement services after the patient's death. The service is offered to help family members cope with grief and loss and includes counseling, support groups, and other resources for up to 13 months after a loved one’s death.

For more information on hospice services, please visit www.communityhospice.com. 

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About Community Hospice & Palliative Care

Established in 1979, Community Hospice & Palliative Care is an innovative national leader in palliative and hospice care, as well as providing programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the communities it serves. During its 44-year history, through the support of more than 1,000 employees and 1,000 volunteers, the organization helps approximately 1,600 patients per day to live better with advanced illness – at home, in long-term care and assisted living facilities, in hospitals and at its 10 inpatient care centers. No one is ever denied care due to an inability to pay. To learn more about the support and services of Community Hospice & Palliative Care, visit CommunityHospice.com