Five Myths About Hospice

End-of-life isn’t about giving up. It’s about providing comfort and support for your loved one and making the most of the time you have remaining. Hospice and palliative (comfort) care gives patients a chance to live their life to the fullest, pain free in a comfortable setting and free up family members to enjoy the remaining time with their loved one. Hospice focuses on caring and support for the entire family.

Myth #1: Choosing hospice means I’m giving up hope.

First and foremost, hospice should never be viewed as “giving up.”  When a cure is no longer possible, hospice is the right choice for the right type of care at the right time.  Hospice provides the type of care most people say they want at the end of life—comfort and quality of life. The most common statement made by families who chose hospice for their loved one is, “we wish we had known about hospice sooner.”

Myth #2: I want to care for my loved one at home, not in a hospice.

Hospice is not a place, but a philosophy of care. The majority of hospice care takes place in private homes, where your loved one is surrounded by family and familiar settings. Home could be a private home, nursing home or assisted living facility – wherever the person lives and considers home.  In-home hospice care also allows patients and families the comfort of remaining in familiar surroundings with all services, medications and supplies brought to the home. Family members have the unique opportunity to be there for their loved one with the support of a professional team.

Myth #3: The doctor suggested hospice; that must mean my loved one has a few days left to live.

Hospice care is available to anyone who has a life-threatening or terminal illness, that has a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course. Patients can remain on hospice service longer than six months if necessary. Hospice should be considered if treatment will no longer cure the disease or if pain is uncontrolled. Your hospice provider will ensure pain and symptom management for your loved one during their end-of-life journey.

Myth #4: Hospice care is only for the elderly or those diagnosed with cancer.

Hospice programs have developed guidelines to care for anyone, at any age, facing a life-threatening or terminal illness. With hospice care, individuals at any age have the chance to complete their lives with dignity, comfort and peace. Nationally, approximately 65% of all people on hospice do not have a cancer diagnoses.

Myth #5: My loved one doesn’t have private insurance, so we won’t be able to afford end-of-life care.

Hospice is fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurers. If a person does not have coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or a private insurance company, Arbor Hospice will work with the person and their family to ensure services are provided. Regardless of someone’s ability to pay, Arbor Hospice believes everyone should have an opportunity for a comfortable and dignified end-of-life journey.

For more information on hospice care, please visit www.arborhospice.org or email Gloria Danna Brooks at gbrooks@arborhospice.org.