Hospice: it's not so scary

I’ve been working solely with hospice patients and their families over the last eight months. Now that assisted living facilities, hospitals, and personal homes are open to external and vaccinated visitors, I have been able to work in-person (in Boulder and Lafayette) to offer my support. For those who are unfamiliar, the definition of hospice means that a physician believes a patient is in the last six months of their life. This diagnosis can result from a terminal illness or even just someone’s age. I actually had the honor of working with a 103-year old woman this spring and she was still taking daily walks and remembered all of her great-grandchildren’s names with ease! Hospice care is meant to be palliative, or pain relieving, rather than curative, which is meant to cure disease. The best part is that hospice is paid for by Medicare and includes a range of services including but not limited to: pain management drugs, medical equipment, medical services, psychological services (including counseling services for the family up to a year after death), social services, respite care, and much more.

A long time ago one of my mentors flippantly told me, “The one thing we all have in common is that we are going to die”. Rather than fear it, why not talk about and plan for it? Several studies have shown that hospice services can have a positive influence on some aspects of quality of life for some people near death. Now who wouldn’t want that?

If you’re interested in learning more about hospice, or if you’re looking for a facility or program near you, please let me know and I’d be happy to assist.