HOSPICE
Brenda K.
Purkey, RN, CHPN,
Patient Care Director
Vice
President of the Hope Hospice Board of Directors
Time Is Precious
How long is six months? For a child, six
months until Christmas is a very long time. A six month old baby is viewed as a
piece of paper with just a couple of lines written on it. A six month old
carton of milk would redefine the word "gross". And six months of
darkness in the arctic circle is something that could
not be tolerated by most people. But when a doctor diagnoses someone with six
months to live, each minute of this time would seem to be a precious commodity.
There
Is Still Hope
When one has been diagnosed as being
terminally ill, he or she probably has already been extensively involved with a
whole spectrum of the health care system, but now all possibilities are
exhausted. It would feel as if all hope had just been yanked out of a tightly
closed fist leaving nothing but fear and uncertainty.
Hospice
Is The Merciful Choice
What is the answer for this person? If the
fear and uncertainty would be addressed, it would be discovered that one does
not have to choose pain, fear, and suffering. But rather, the most merciful
option for the terminally ill would be hospice care.
You
Make The Decision
The media is filled with horror stories, but
in order to scrutinize this argument any further, the terms involved must be
clearly understood. In hospice and palliative care, a terminally ill person
would not be given medicines or have certain procedures done which would only
extend his or her life in a way that would not allow death to take a natural
expected course. The courts have called this "the right to die."
Death
With Dignity
Death with dignity is also a term that is
heard often but is not clearly understood. Traditionally, death with dignity
has meant that the dying are kept physically
comfortable, and are given psychological, emotional and spiritual support.
Everyone does want to have dignity, whether it be in
life or in death. The dying have death with dignity
through hospice and care.
A
Method Of Caring
Another important term is hospice. Hospice
is not a place, but rather, it is a method of caring for both the terminally
ill person and his or her family, usually in the comforts of the home. The
hospice staff is composed of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, trained
volunteers, a social worker, and a chaplain trained in palliative care. Hospice
will carefully monitor and alleviate the troublesome symptoms of the terminally
ill person in such a way that he or she will be able to participate in life
until the very end.
Bereavement
Support Groups
When death does occur, hospice will help
support the family in any way possible. Hope Hospice offers a nine week
bereavement program for anyone who wants help through the grieving process.
Pain
And Suffering Can Be Relieved
Now that the foundation has been laid, it is
time to get to the meat of the issue. Why would a terminally ill person choose
hospice and palliative care? One of their main reasons stated is the fear of
pain and suffering. With all of today's medical expertise, no one should have
to die with pain and suffering. Most people don't realize that in virtually
every case, pain can be relieved without rendering the individual unable to
interact with his or her family. Unfortunately, many terminally ill patients
are not given proper pain control and do unnecessarily suffer. But those
patients in the hospice program receive modern palliative care techniques to
control pain and other symptoms allowing a terminally ill
individuals to take a renewed interest in life, and when the time comes,
a pain-free death would be possible.
The
Story Of "Rachel"
When "Rachel" first came to Hope
Hospice, she had uncontrolled pain. Her medications were evaluated and
readjusted to meet her needs. "Rachel" was able to enjoy playing the
piano just two days before her death. The day she died, she was able to hold
all of her grandchildren, enjoy time with her children, and have her picture
taken with them just a couple of hours before she peacefully passed away.
The
Story Of "Carl"
When "Carl" first became a Hope
Hospice patient, he was bedridden, and the doctor had said that
"Carl" had about a week to live. He was very despondent and spent
most of his time just waiting to die. With wonderful family support and by
having his burdensome symptoms relieved, "Carl" had a renewed
interest in living those days he had left, which turned out to be several
months of quality living.
Hope
Hospice Helps Families
Another reason a terminally ill person would
consider hospice care is the fear of becoming a burden to their loved ones.
Hospice care seeks to help both the individual and the family to make the
necessary physical, emotional and spiritual adjustments during this time of
life. No matter how over-taken by disease, the terminally ill person still
remains a unique human being, and as long as there is life, a person continues
to have value.
The
National Hospice Organization
Currently, the National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization, of which Hope Hospice is a member, cares for about 390,000 patients. There is a reason why far
more terminally ill people prefer hospice care than other types of care.
Hospice care can help relieve pain and other symptoms enabling a terminally ill
person to enjoy that precious remaining time. Increased comfort along with the
network of support from hospice workers will decrease worry about becoming a
burden because they have physical, emotional, and spiritual needs met. Hospice
care truly is the most merciful choice for the terminally ill.
If you
would like to learn more about Hope Hospice, how you may volunteer, how you may
make a donation, or how the hospice program may serve you, please contact:
Hope Hospice
Telephone: (574)
224-HOPE or Fax:
E-mail: hospice@rtcol.com
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