What is Hospice? What do we as people think of when we mention the word, Hospice? “Bereavement” in other words that is not always a true statement. I now been with Hospice going on three years; June 17 2016. I have taken care of most of the patients I have had since day one as yes’ there are long term patients not short term.
In contrast with their built-in misconception, hospice provides enhanced intensity and quality of care than a hospital. Rather than insisting in futile acute treatments, shifting the focus towards improving end-of-life care and well-being would be the best alternative. In other words, Koh (2011) suggests to grant the patients a peaceful death or to “die in place” (pg. 32). Conclusion To conclude, more studies should be researched in the local context.
This hospice clinical will affect me for years to come, it taught me how to show compassion even when I am scared for the patient. It taught me that just because my patient is dying, or is very much near death, doesn’t mean that they are unaware of their condition. I honestly feel that this hospice experience has made me a better person, and it will make me a better
Hospice care in the other hand; is generally done in the patient’s home. This type of care provides support and care to patients in the final stages of fatal conditions. Because hospice patients have a life expectancy of six months or less, their treatment is more targeted towards symptom relief rather than a cure. The symptom management regimen allows for the patient and their families to concentrate on the emotional aspect of dying. Conclusions and Future
Today, people with critical illnesses are given the option to stop treatment in order to hasten death. However, those in similar conditions, except being on life-sustaining medicine, do not have the
We do not enter and leave each of these stages in any particular order we may feel one then another and back again to the first one. Support workers must always respond with sensitivity and compassion when dealing with the family and patients when the patient is dying and after death. The following is a list of services available from the hospice foundation; • Providing funding for a night nursing services for patients in the final stages of non cancer illnesses to enable them to be cared for at home • Helping you find a local hospice or palliative care service • Providing extensive information on bereavement and bereavement support • Linking you to additional sources of support for carers • Pointing you to financial information linked to bereavement/end-of-life care • Hardship grants a limited grant fund, applied for by hospice or palliative care professionals on behalf of patients and families experiencing severe financial hardship as a result of life-limiting illness
This includes active listening, maturity, attention to detail, respecting and supporting patient wishes, not shying away from difficult situations, responding fairly and promptly, and maintaining a positive manner about you. As a volunteer with hospice, I have had the privilege of working with a number of patients nearing their end of life. Through this experience, I have grown a greater level of maturity, and learned to deal with loss and emotional setback as I gain insight into the difficult situations that my patients deal with. It has shown me the power that words can have, and made me a more receptive listener and communicator in general. As I continue to grow and develop, I hope to find more ways to get myself into situations where I can participate in challenging conversations.
We also know that only 19% of people dying at home received complete relief from pain, all of the time. We know that too many people are not involved enough in decisions about their care and do not receive end of life care in their preferred place.11 Recent reports have shown that, in too many instances, care is not sufficiently focused on the person’s individual needs and preferences.12 13 This is not acceptable. Our ambition is for everyone approaching the end of life to receive high quality care that reflects their individual needs, choices and preferences. Everyone, including children, should be able to be involved in decisions about their own care and develop care plans, together with those important to them and the health and care professionals responsible for their care. The Government commissioned the Review of Choice in End of Life Care14 (“the Review”) to provide independent advice on improving the quality and experience of care for adults at the end of life, their careers and others who are important to them, by expanding choice.
The disadvantages are that it can be more difficult for the family members to provide care. The advantages of hospice care are that they provide a warm, supportive environment for the dying. The disadvantage is that they do not focus on extending the life of the dying, they only want to make it comfortable for them to do so. Hospitals are impersonal, have less visiting hours, they are designed to make people better, it is very expensive to provide care for dying people. Hospitals are not equipped to provide the terminally ill patient and family with emotional support.
However, reality for us, humans start to seep in. Unfortunately, we cannot choose our fate and terminally ill patients share the same predicament. These individuals experience immeasurable pain battling for their lives with no hope. Literally, they are listening to the tick of the clock until their time. Despite the moral conflict of permitting mercy killing, euthanasia provides a multitude of benefits such as, alleviating the pain of terminally-ill patients, cutting the expenditure of struggling families, and letting individuals practice their freewill and judgment.