November is National Hospice Month

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month in November has been proclaimed by President Obama, and was created to remember patients who have completed the end-of-life journey, and to honor the professionals and volunteers who have helped them along the way.

This month, please pay tribute not only to those we have lost, but also consider thinking about what we want our own end-of-life experiences to be — regardless of health or age. “Why didn’t we know about hospice earlier?” is the No. 1 comment we receive from families in our surveys following the death of a loved one.

Making sure your family knows what your wishes are is the responsible thing to do, and the greatest gift you can give your loved ones.

The first White House proclamation honoring hospice month was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. At that time, hospices in the US served several thousand individuals and their family members each year. New data from National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization shows that a record 41.5 percent of people who died in the US – 1.56 million patients with life-limiting illness – were served by the nation’s hospices last year.

So what about the other 58.5 percent? The simple fact is that all of us need to discuss our end-of-life options now – not when it’s a crisis. Not when a car accident has occurred and family members are left to wonder what their loved one’s final wishes would have been. Not when a spouse has days to live after being diagnosed with cancer months ago and no discussion about how and where they want to die has occurred. Statistics reveal that most people would like to die at home, pain-free and with loved ones, but again, nearly 60 percent of us do not have this experience. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, if through these conversations more people were empowered to obtain their wish?

Here at Arbor Hospice, we are working to educate the public this month with free community events throughout November in Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Dearborn.

Each event will feature a 60-minute screening of Consider the Conversation, a PBS documentary that explores the challenge people encounter with communication and preparation at the end-of-life. Following the film, Arbor Hospice’s end-of-life expert will lead the group through a discussion guide that aims to combat myths about hospice and death. Please check our website for times and locations.

If you have any questions about National Hospice Month, hospice services or would like to make a donation to Arbor Hospice, please call 1-888-992-2273 or visit www.arborhospice.org.