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In 1999,
nearly 2.4 million Americans died; 29 percent of those people died in hospice
care in their own home (www.nhpco.org).
In fact, most people would prefer to be cared for in their own home if faced
with a life threatening illness. It is never easy or comfortable to enter
the world of someone who is dying. But this is exactly what hospice care is
about: entering the home of a family where a loved one is living out the last
portion of life (Lattanzi-Licht).
At the center
of hospice is the belief that every person has the right to die pain-free
and with dignity. Also at the center of hospice is the belief that family
members should receive the support they need so that the patient can die in
this manner. In addition, hospice gives greater control to the patient and
family. Hospice enables terminally ill patients to make decisions about how
and where they want to spend the rest of their lives; hospice involves the
family in making these decisions and in helping a person they love (National
Hospice Foundation). By meeting the needs of both the patient and the family,
hospice focuses on comforting care, rather than curative care (TCH). Also,
regardless of age, religion, race or illness, hospice provides care for people
who prefer to stay at home during his/her illness (Transylvania County Hospital).
The modern
day American hospice movement began in 1974 with the establishment of the
Connecticut Hospice in New Haven. The Connecticut Hospice was founded on the
model of care started by Cicely Saunders, who opened Saint Christopher's Hospice
in 1967 in England. This model has since been the model for comprehensive
care for the patient and family. In America, hospice programs have been at
the forefront of efforts to involve and include families in providing end-of-life
care (NHF).
Furthermore,
hospice strives to treat the whole person: physical needs, emotional needs,
social needs and spiritual needs. Pain is one of the major fears of terminally
ill patients. In hospice, the goal is to achieve control of the pain without
impairing alertness. By helping patients control pain, hospice can then help
patients achieve emotional comfort. This way, patients can concentrate on
living instead of concentrating on pain. Hospice is also special because care
is centered in the home of the patient; there are no cold hospital rooms or
unfamiliar settings. Instead, the patient can be cared for by family and friends
in familiar surroundings. Care at home can not only help patients and families
draw closer, but it also can help families and friends become less frightened
about death. In order to help the family prepare for the death, hospice also
recognizes the importance of spiritual matters. Patients and their families
can get support from their own spiritual leader or a hospice chaplain (NHF).
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