Hospice
From Life Done Right SeniorWiki
Hospice is a concept of care that involves health professionals and volunteers who provide medical, psychological, and spiritual support to terminally ill patients and their loved ones. Hospice stresses quality of life—peace, comfort, and dignity. A principal aim of hospice is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice services are available to persons who can no longer benefit from curative treatment; the typical hospice patient has a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Hospice programs provide services in various settings: the home, hospice centers, hospitals, or skilled nursing facilities. Patients’ families are also an important focus of hospice care, and services are designed to provide them with the assistance and support they need.
The hospice care team usually includes:
- The terminally ill patient and his or her family caregiver(s)
- Doctor
- Nurses
- Home health aides
- Clergy or other spiritual counselors (e.g., minister, priest, rabbi)
- Social workers
- Volunteers (if needed, and trained to perform specific tasks)
- Occupational, physical, and/or speech therapists (if needed).
External Links
- American Cancer Society (ACS) - provides free fact sheets and publications about hospice
- Americans for Better Care of the Dying
- Family Caregiver Alliance
- Growth House Inc.
- Hospice Association of America (HAA)
- Hospice Center, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Hospice Education Institute
- Hospice Net
- Last Acts
- Medline Plus Hospice Care
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO)
- National Hospice Foundation
- Medicare Hospice Benefits (pdf)
Hospice Books
- Hospice Handbook: A Complete Guide by Larry Beresford
- The Needs of the Dying: A Guide for Bringing Hope, Comfort, and Love to Life's Final Chapter by David Kessler
- Hospice and Palliative Care Handbook: Quality, Compliance and Reimbursement (Spiral-bound) by Tina M. Marrelli
- Mosby's Home Care & Hospice Drug Handbook by Tina M. Marrelli
- The Handbook of Hospice Care by Robert W. Buckingham
- Hospice, a Labor of Love by Denise Glavan
- Good End: End-of-Life Concerns and Conversations about Hospice and Palliative Care by Michael Appleton
- The Hospice Choice: In Pursuit of a Peaceful Death by Marcia Lattanzi-Licht
- Peaceful Journey: A Hospice Chaplain's Guide to End-of-Life by Matthew P. Binkewicz
- If Only I'd Had This Caregiving Book by Maya Hennessey
- The Fearless Caregiver: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved One and Still Have a Life of Your Own by Gary Barg
- Caregiving: The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss, and Renewal by Beth Witrogen McLeod
- American Medical Association Guide to Home Caregiving by American Medical Association
- The Caregiver's Essential Handbook : More than 1,200 Tips to Help You Care for and Comfort the Seniors in Your Life by Sasha Carr
- God Knows Caregiving Can Pull You Apart: 12 Ways to Keep it All Together by Gretchen Thompson
- And Thou Shalt Honor: The Caregiver's Companion by Rosalynn Carter
- Christian Caregiving: A Way of Life : Leader's Guide by Kenneth C. Haugk
- To Survive Caregiving: A Daughter's Experience, A Doctor's Advice on Finding Hope, Help and Health by Cheryl, E Woodson
- Caregiving: Hospice-Proven Techniques for Healing Body and Soul by Douglas C. Smith
- The Caregiving Zone by Peggy Flynn
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