The National Hospice and Palliative Care association reports in a new study that the number of patients receiving hospice care continues to increase. While this news is encouraging, it is troubling that a large number of those patients are in hospice care for less than a week.
It is difficult for families to confront the reality of a loved one's impending death, but hospice should enter the discussion sooner rather than later. It is capable of bringing comfort to patients and families, and through that comfort, eliminating some of the outlying concerns that so often accompany such a painful and difficult period.
Blue Skies Hospice is staffed by competent and compassionate nurses, doctors, clergy, social workers, and volunteers to ensure that palliative care for patients brings peace of mind and body. Additional time spent in hospice allows the staff to prepare the patient and family for the upcoming change, spiritually and emotionally, rather than just physically and medicinally.
Read the new study to learn about the growth of hospice care. The study does demonstrate that American culture is learning the value of hospice care, and that is a promising development.
