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Hospice is About Living Life on Your Terms
Hospice care focuses on improving the
quality of life for persons and their families faced with
a life-limiting illness. The primary goals of hospice care
are to provide comfort, relieve physical, emotional, and spiritual
suffering, and promote the dignity of terminally ill persons.
As such, it is palliative (comfort) care, not curative care.
Hospice doesn't give anyone the
power to shorten or prolong life, just the power to live it
as you choose. Heart of Hospice is committed to the idea that
Hospice isn't about dying, it’s about living and making each
journey the best it can be.
Where is Hospice Care Given?
Hospice care is a philosophy and approach rather than a place.
Care may be provided in a person’s home, an assisted living
facility, a skilled nursing facility, hospital, or independent
facility devoted to end-of-life care. It all depends on the
family and the person taking the journey.
What Kind of Treatment Is Provided Through Hospice Care?
Hospice treats the whole person, not just the disease. It
focuses on the needs of both the patient and the family. The
health care team is specially trained in pain and disease
management, as well as practical needs such as insurance coverage,
transportation, and assistance with bathing. Additionally,
they attend to emotional and spiritual needs such as caregiver
stress, grief, and fear of dying. Care is provided by an interdisciplinary
team including the physician, nurse, social worker, chaplain,
pharmacist, certified nursing assistant, volunteers, and physical
therapists.
Is There a Distinction Between Hospice
and Palliative Care?
The goals of both palliative care and
hospice care are to relieve suffering and to improve quality
of life. While hospice care is customarily provided during
the last few months of a person’s life, palliative (comfort)
care can begin very early in the patient’s journey. Persons
with a life-limiting disease may receive palliative care to
relieve pain and other physical symptoms and to assist them
in coping with how the illness impacts their daily living
and family life.
Heart of Hospice is very pleased to be associated with the
Lifeworks palliative care program at Mid-Columbia Medical
Center to provide a seamless transition between their palliative
care program and our Hospice program. Get more information
about Lifeworks here.
Hospice and Home Health Nursing Care
in Different Ways
Two primary differences exist between hospice care and home
health nursing. First, any patient with a skilled medical
care need is qualified to receive home health nursing care.
The patient may be recuperating from heart surgery or require
intravenous medication for an infection from which they are
expected to recover. Hospice care, on the other hand, is limited
to persons with a terminal illness, usually with a life expectancy
of six months or less, and with a focus on palliation (lessening
of pain) not cure. Second, where persons in home health care
receive visits primarily from a nurse or therapist, persons
in hospice care receive the services of an entire interdisciplinary
team whose area of expertise is end-of-life care
Nurse Founded and Operated
Heart of Hospice is located in the Columbia Gorge area of
Oregon. Situated along the Columbia River and at the base
of Mt. Hood, the area is known for its windsurfing, kite boarding,
skiing and winter activities, as well as fishing, kayaking
and other outdoor sports.
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