Essay on Hospice Care: Death With Dignity

Death is inevitable. It is one of the only certainties in life. Regardless, people are often uncomfortable discussing death. Nyatanga (2016) posits that the idea of no longer existing increases anxiety and emotional distress in relation to one’s mortality. Because of the difficulty in level of care for end-of-life patients, the patient and the family often need professional assistance for physical and emotional care. Many family caregivers are not professionally trained in medicine, and this is where hospice comes into play. Hospice aims to meet the holistic needs of both the patient and the patient’s family through treatment plans, education, and advocacy. There is a duality of care to the treatment provided by hospice staff in that they do not attempt to separate the patient’s care from the family’s care. Leming and Dickinson (2011) support that hospice, unlike other clinical fields, focuses on the patient and the family together instead of seeing the patient independent of the family. Many times in hospitals, the medical team focuses solely on the goal of returning the patient back to health in order for them to return to their normal lives. They do not take into account the psychological and spiritual components of the patient’s journey and the journey that the family must take as well. For treatment of the patient, Leming and Dickinson agree that hospice does not attempt to cure patients, and instead concentrates solely

The aim of a hospice is to improve the quality of life of the dying

You've sat in your hospital bed for at least three months now, and the pain and boredom is starting to become even more torturous than you could have imagined. The pain that you are experiencing on a day-to-day basis is excruciating; a normal, everyday procedure like using the restroom or getting something to eat is a long, drawn out, and painful ordeal. All of the doctors that you've talked to agree that you are going to die soon from the disease that has infested your body, but even six months sounds like an excruciatingly long amount of time, especially when all you have to occupy your time is lie in a bed painfully, waiting it out. Your family and friends are already distraught by the news; they already know that you are on the brink

Caring for patients at the end of life is a challenging task that requires not only the consideration of the patient as a whole but also an understanding of the family, social, legal, economic, and institutional circumstances that surround patient care.

Great strides have been made to improve end-of-life care through palliative care and hospice programs, but sometimes that’s just not enough. In America, the care that is offered to the elderly and the chronically ill is less than ideal. Statistics show that an

Hospice is a philosophy of care. It treats the person rather than the disease and focuses on quality of life. It surrounds the patient and family with a team consisting of professionals who not only address physical distress, but emotional and spiritual issues as well. Hospice care is patient-centered because the needs of the patient and family drive the activities of the hospice team.

Long-term care is a result of people having terminal conditions, disabilities, illnesses, injuries, or being elderly. The purpose of long-term care is to provide services to people and to aid people at a time in their lives when they cannot depend on themselves to maintain daily activities. There are many variations of long-term care available – such as home care, adult day care, and independent and assisted living, personal care facilities, nursing homes, and hospice.

In 1983 twenty-five-year old Nancy Cruzan was driving when her car careened off the road and flipped over. She was thrown out of her car into a ditched and was left lying there unconscious. Her body was victim to its surroundings and to fate. When she was found by paramedics, she was unconscious and not breathing. They concluded that she had not been breathing for at least fifteen minutes, but through the miracles of modern technology she was revived into a vegetative state (Gumm). This began a long crusade for Nancy Cruzan and her family and only added to the enduring debate about euthanasia. Should a person be able to control when to end his life? I believe that a person should control when life ends while facing a terminal illness or

Hospice is a special healthcare option for patients and families faced with a terminal illness. At Hospice there’s a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses social workers, bereavement counselors and volunteers that work together to address the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of each patient and

A price tag of care for four more months of added life under Medicare coverage, may seem as an easy decision to approve based on the policies that are set. Really, on the surface we know that if you are on Medicare there is no question that you will receive the treatments that you need. Then there are those that may view this cost as it relates to government spending as an illogical expenditure for simply extending one’s life. It is with an argument such as this that particularly prompts into question the idea of what policy is in place for such funding of treatments that are covered by the Medicare program.

It is well known, all over the world that we humans will one day come to our eminent last day and die. Dying comes as no surprise, unfortunately the ever-growing cost of “staying alive” will surpass our dying days.

Having to say goodbye to a loved one is hard, but what’s even harder is having to say goodbye to a loved one who chooses to go before their time. Every human’s most basic right is the right to their own life. This includes the right to end their own life when they see fit. This right is especially important when a person is faced with a terminal illness. In end-of-life care, health professionals, patients and families must often make difficult decisions in tense, demanding, emotionally fraught and constrained circumstances. When it’s time for a patient to be with god, there are a few options, such as Hospice Palliative Care, Euthanasia, and assisted suicide. All of these are different ways that most patients have the right to, but before a person

As everyone gets old, hospice care is needed. End-of-life care is the industry to be in, but are we taking advantage of these people? Research shows that Medicare is the main company that pays for hospice at 83.9% with Medicaid at 4.9% (Fay).

With new medical advances arising that have quickly evolved the life of a human being and allowing humans to have a longer lifespan. But when this new medical advances no longer can prolong the life of human being where do they go. Many will go to Hospice Care to receive comfort care at the end of their days, but many will not have this option due to the enrollment policies Medicare Hospice have. It is one of the many questions that arise with new medical technology. On an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, titled “Understanding Hospice-An Underutilized Option for Life’s Final Chapter” will discuss the treatments that are offered by hospice care and how it is being unitized, as it should be. Another article also by the

Health care issues and challenges affect every stage of our lives. From the moment we are born, nurses and physicians are available to welcome us into the world. When we think of a new life, we think of happiness and blessings from God. We celebrate life with baby showers and Christenings. Wellness checks and scheduled immunizations are implemented to prevent diseases, and promote healthy lifestyles. Unfortunately, end of life care and experiences isn't as joyous, or well planned by society. Death and dying is associated with pain, suffering and grieving, for both the dying person and their loved ones. The advancements in medical treatments and technology has improved health care, while increasing life expectancy. Life expectancy