Someone is telling me to crawl into my bed and die
Posted by Patti on August 1st, 2007 / Print This Post
Americans don’t utilize Hospice Services enough. For many reasons.
WEDNESDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) — Too few Americans entering life’s final phase are availing themselves of high-quality hospice care, despite the fact that Medicare covers the expense, experts say.The situation is only going to become more problematic as the nation’s “baby boomers” reach the end of their expected life spans in coming decades, according to two articles in the July 26New England Journal of Medicine.
“Hospice care is underutilized — only a third of Americans die under the care of hospice, and hospice care is free,” noted the author of one article, Dr. Gail Gazelle, assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. “Far too often, patients end up in an ICU, rushed to the emergency room, and they end up dying there, when really they would much rather have died in their own home,” she added.
According to Gazelle, many of these patients avoid hospice, because they — and often their doctors — believe end-of-life care means they have “failed” in the face of disease. “They often view it as, ‘OK, someone is telling me to crawl into my bed and die,’” she said. In reality, many hospice patients lead full, mobile and high-quality lives for months, Gazelle said.
There’s also the misperception that hospice is expensive. Too often, terminal patients don’t realize that Medicare and private insurance cover the full cost of hospice care.
Read the rest of this article to learn why people don’t seem to want to have Hospice care.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Where I work the Hospice people come in to help us. The aides come in a couple times a week which is good, but when you’re dying you need someone there all the time.
Long before you’re dying though I think the family should be expected to fulfil many of the needs. We should expect it and demand it.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Hospice is a wonderful service, but for those who can understand what is happening to them, getting a hospice is just like saying “I give up”. Just as stated in the article, many hospice patients end up dying in a hospital-not where they wanted to die. Sometimes when we have a resident who is dying that is on comfort measures and is a DNR, the family will insist in a frantic state of mind that that person become a full code. Sometimes they return from the hospital a complete vegetable with a feeding tube or die there. Either way, it is tragic, and we American’s especially, have a hard time adapting to death.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I’m a bit confused as to what, exactly Hospice is all about now. Used to be the services were provided in homes. For those who wanted to die there. I have extensive training in this aspect of the idea…this new mindset, of services provided over months of time is great…but is it in an effort to take advantage of the original idea? I suspect it is.
It is a wonderful thing and Hospice groups need to do more to promote themselves. But ultimately, the idea of death doesn’t become too many people: And hospice is always associated with death. Peaceful or not.
August 11th, 2007 at 1:27 am
I WORK AT A HOSPICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA AS A HHA/CNA… I CAN TELL YOU THAT GETTING HOSPICE CARE EARLY CAN AND DOES PROLONG THE LIFE OF THE PATIENT DUE TO THE CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE PT. AND FAMILY!! IT IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION FOR THOSE THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND BELIEVE ME… IT IS A HARD ONE TO DO ALSO… YOU DO DEVELOPE BONDS W/ PT. AND FAMILY..HOW COULD YOU NOT?? ANYWAY…IF I LOOK AT IT AS I AM AT THE BEGIINNING OF THEIR END…THEN I AM OK!!I HAVE MET A VARIETY OF AWESOME PEOPLE WHILE WORKING FOR HOSPICE THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE MET BEFOR!! WE DO SEE PT.S IN NURSING HOMES… WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THAT EXTRA TIME THAT THE STAFF AT THE FACILITY COULD NOT DO SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DOZEN OR MORE PTS. COMPARED TO A FEW THAT I WOULD SEE!! HOSPICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH…DYING W/DIGNITY,IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIVING AND Emotional support and spiritual counseling for the patient and family along with
Companionship and household assistance visits provided by dedicated, trained volunteers!!! not all hospices are the same but they should have the general idea…to provide care and comfort at such a difficault time. thanks for the time..hopes this helps!! sharon,hha,cna in mishawaka,indiana
August 12th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Great comment Sharon. We all apreciate the service you provide. It can be scary for some, but the idea is great!
August 13th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
Sharon I think you took my comment the wrong way. I APPREICATE Hospice. I volunteer for one. I know what they do…
The general public doesn’t know too much about it though. Hospice is the Grim Reaper, to many…so Hospice has some work to do as an organization…some serious public relations work.
August 14th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Hospice was popular back in the late 80’s; then it seems to have died it’s own death…and now it’s trying to make a comeback. I agree that somehow the orginal mission has changed here in the US. In Britain Hospice is still just for those who are close to death, who need attention and end of life cares; who need companionship and spiritual guidance. In America it’s become an all out business. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but it has become a commodity rather than a service.