Surprising Facts About Hospice Care

“I wish we had asked about hospice sooner.” Agapé Hospice & Palliative Care frequently hears this from the patients we serve and their families. Sometimes people simply don’t know anything about hospice or they are reluctant to consider hospice because in their mind, it means giving up on the person’s life. Calling too late is something families may regret as they miss out on many benefits of hospice care, including precious time with their loved one.

As our Agapé Hospice team says: going on hospice isn’t giving up, it’s taking control of what you want during the end-of-life journey.

To Help People Understand Better, Here Are Some Surprising Facts About Hospice Care:

• On hospice care, you may actually live longer. Research has shown that those receiving hospice care can live longer than similar patients who do not opt for hospice. According to a study in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, hospice can extend life, on average, for 29 days.
• Hospice is not a place — it’s a type of high-quality care for those facing life-limiting illnesses. Hospice focuses on the comfort and quality of life, not prolonging life. Our team consists of the very best accredited medical professionals and trained counselors. We all work together to ensure all of the patient’s needs are met and to address any of their unique challenges.
• Hospice is not just for cancer patients. It is for people with many different diagnoses and illnesses. Hospice serves any person with a life-limiting illness, regardless of their type of illness or age. Any diagnosis can qualify for hospice as long as the individual has been certified by a physician as terminal with a prognosis of six months or less if the disease progresses as expected.
• Hospice patients remain in control. The end-of-life journey is a very personal experience to each unique individual. Someone’s medical needs and their own desires for their last days will greatly differ. What is most important to you and your loved ones? What does a great day mean to you? Together, Agapé and the patient decide the care plan, in the way they choose, on their terms.
• Going on hospice doesn’t mean giving up all other medical care and treatments. Agapé can offer treatments to increase quality of life by managing uncomfortable symptoms like pain or nausea. But patients may continue to see their regular doctor, and they remain in charge of their own medical decisions. Hospice means shifting from the goal of a longer life to creating the best quality of life for the days one has left.
• Hospice care can be provided at home. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization estimates that 6% of patients receive hospice care in their own homes. When asked, most people say they would prefer to die at home and hospice can help to make this happen with dignity and in comfort. Agapé Hospice can come to you to provide care with all the equipment, medications, and supplies needed while you stay surrounded by all the things and people you love.

Other common places we provide hospice and palliative care include at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and acute care hospitals.

• Hospice is for the whole family, through the entire end-of-life journey. The support we provide to families reduces the burden of caregiving and the stressful aspects of death. We help the patient and all their loved ones come to terms with facing what is ahead. Afterwards, we provide healing through our bereavement program which offers support and counseling to the patient, the family, loved ones, and any care staff, for a minimum of thirteen months following a patient’s death.

Hospice is a necessary and beneficial healthcare option that sadly remains underutilized by terminally ill patients. Understanding the facts about hospice conveys the specifics of how it is used and how we can benefit.

If you still are not sure if hospice care is the right choice for you or your loved one, please reach out and contact us at 213-784-2733 or email info@agapehospicepc.org. Agapé Hospice & Palliative Care serves the LA and Orange County area of California. We’re always available to answer your questions and help you understand when hospice is appropriate and all that hospice can mean for you and your family.