Background

"Hospice" is not a place, but rather, a proven method of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments. Hospice recognizes dying as part of the normal process of living, affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones death. The focus of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient's end of life experience by offering comfort and dignity. This goal is best accomplished by offering a quality, stand alone facility staffed by an interdisciplinary team of specially trained professionals and volunteers. The hospice team must be equipped to deal with the emotional, social and spiritual impacts of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friends. Providing hospice care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities has limitations as staff is not specialized in end of life care. Patients and families also do not prefer the nursing home option. Hospice and palliative care patients admitted to hospitals for acute care is also extremely costly.

Hospice & Palliative Care provided in a specialized facility is unique in design because it focuses on care for those wanting comforts similar to home. The hospice residence we envision is light, airy, bright and cheerful, celebrating life with gardens and walking paths that are handicapped accessible. The wonderful feature of a hospice residence is the ability to provide the warmth and security of home while receiving the medical assistance required for end-of-life care.

Hospice and palliative Care both focus on helping a person be comfortable by addressing issues causing physical or emotional pain, or suffering. Hospice focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting patients, and their families, when life expectancy is measured in months rather than years. However, Palliative Care may be given at any time during a patient's illness, from diagnosis on.

Palliative Care Medicine represents comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for patients with advanced illness whose treatment goals emphasize quality of life but may not yet meet the six month prognosis requirement to qualify for the Hospice Benefit. Palliative care lessens the burdens and suffering of advanced illness through: 1) aggressive medical management of pain and other debilitating symptoms; and 2) counseling and support for the social, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families.

Palliative Care Medicine Cost Savings

It is now recognized that palliative care is increasingly important as the health care system faces the need to find ways to effectively and efficiently treat the growing number of older adults with complex, chronic illness. Increased patient and family satisfaction, more hospice referrals, reduced length of hospital stay and decreased Intensive Care Unit use were cited as key outcomes of providing palliative care services. Therefore, palliative care programs have decreased costs both to the healthcare systems, insurance companies and business corporations.