Hospice can offer its services to anyone who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, irrespective of their social, cultural, spiritual, financial or religious points of view or standing.
The benefits of hospice and palliative care
Research published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that terminally-ill patients who received hospice care lived, on average, 29 days longer than those who did not opt for hospice near the end of life.
Source: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Hospice carers offer specialized knowledge and support at the end of life, just as obstetricians and midwives lend support and expertise at the start of life. Hospice can reduce anxiety in both the terminally-ill patient and his or her family by helping them make the most of the time remaining.
When terminally-ill patients, who are often already in a weakened physical and mental state, make the decision to receive hospice and palliative care instead of continued curative treatment, they avoid the dangers of over-treatment. In-home care from a hospice team often means the patient receives greater monitoring than he or she would in a hospital. In addition to focusing on the physical health and comfort of a patient, hospice care also focuses on the emotional needs and spiritual well-being of the terminally ill and their loved ones.
Since a hospice program offers substantial support and training for family caregivers, it also helps many patients feel less of a burden to their loved ones.