Today, hospice is no longer a place, but rather an ideal and philosophy of care for the patient with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones facing a difficult journey. The purpose remains the same - for them to find rest, to be cared for and to gather courage to face the remaining days of their journey together.
With Hospice the focus is on "living" until the end, living each moment, rather than on "dying" or the dying process. Perhaps the quote by Jonathan Swift summarizes the focus of hospice the best:
- May you live all the days of your life.
Hospice is a special concept of care that provides comfort and support to patients and their families at the end of life.
Palliative care are services that alleviate, lessen, or provide relief of symptoms which interfere with quality of life when curative treatments are no longer an option with a life-threatening illness.
More formal definitions from the Glossary:
These FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) are good starting points to help clarify what hospice, end of life and palliative care are and what they do for people and families at the end of life.
In 2005 1.2 million people with life-limiting illnesses received care from one of the more than 4000 hospice programs in the United States. Cancer diagnoses continue to account for less than half of all hospice admissions.
The most recent Hospice statistics (from 2005) were recently released as part of November's National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
- Definition of a Good Death or an Appropriate Death - Different definitions of death from various scholarly texts and research articles.
- Six Components of a Good Death - Six themes that emerged from interviewing seventy-five participants in the United States.
- Twelve Principles of a Good Death - Principles of a good death in the United Kingdom.
- A Good Death is A Peaceful Death - Characteristics of a good death in rural Ghana.
This section of resources for End-of-Life, Hospice or Palliative Care includes carefully reviewed and selected beneficial resources for those who are dealing with hospice, palliative care and many of the issues surrounding End-of-Life care.
Poems and quotes can help us find words to express the deep, intense feelings experienced with death and dying...when our own words escape us.
- Healing: A Gift of Self - Written for family and friends who walk with loved ones on their final journey.
- Healers and Healing - Written for Healthcare Professionals caring for Hospice Patients.
- My Wish for You - Written for my Grandmother to saying goodbye after living with the Longest Goodbye
- Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross - Quotes from Dr. Kubler-Ross on learning from the dying.
The section on Living with Dying also includes information on end of life issues. In this section the emphasis is on "living" each moment until the end of life.
This section includes information on:
November is National Hospice Month, a time to understand the hospice philosophy of care.
From Office of the Governor of the State of Michigan - Hospice Month:
Hospice exists to affirm life by providing support and care to those in the last phases life so that they can live as comfortably as possible with their family and friends.
From the White House - A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America :
National Hospice Month is also a time to recognize our health care professionals and volunteers for their contributions to helping provide comfort and care to those facing terminal illness.
