November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, and a time when we join with our parent organization, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, to raise awareness about the services and opportunities available through hospice and palliative care.
Unless you have had a friend or family member who has been under hospice or palliative care, you haven’t had a reason to learn about what our organization does. For many people, hearing the word hospice is something they equate with a death sentence, because from inexperience and little first-hand knowledge, they know people go into a hospice program when they are very sick. But through research conducted by the NHPCO, we know that 96 percent of people who have had a personal connection to hospice are left with a positive impression of what hospice care can do. That means we’re doing something right, and what we’re doing is making sure everyone, caregivers as well as people with a life-limiting or terminal illness, get to experience the best possible quality of life and live each day fully andcomfortably until the very end.
Our goal at Hospice & Palliative CareCenter is to spread that positive impact even further, educating as many people as possible about the role hospice and palliative care can play in the life of anyone who has been diagnosed with a serious, life-limiting illness.
The purpose of hospice and palliative care is to improve the quality of life for people within our care. You’ll find hospice caregivers making special foods for patients to brighten their day, volunteers making it possible for veterans to see the war memorials in Washington, D.C., to fulfill a life-long dream, and activities such as holiday meals and hymn singings to make each patient feel a part of life.
The purpose of hospice and palliative care is to improve the quality of life for people – as well as providing support to their family. You’ll find compassionate hospice caregivers making special visits to patient’s homes to provide expert care and brighten their day. You’ll also find volunteers spending meaningful time with patients, and their family, doing special acts of kindness to bring a smile and an extra feeling of support. Once you’ve had a first-hand experience with Hospice & Palliative CareCenter, you become our biggest champion and can help lead others to the support and care they deserve. When thinking about hospice care or palliative care, please remember that it is not about helping die, but rather about making people as comfortable as possible and improving quality of life.
To find out more about how hospice and palliative care helps improve the lives of people who are faced with serious illness, watch this wonderful video produced by the NHPCO, Moments for Life. It’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, and maybe even a tear to your eye.
Please contact us with any questions.