Spectrum Hospice, Inc.

Subject: Women Husband's phone call: "Honey it's me. I don't want to alarm you, but I was hit by a car as I was leaving the office. Paula brought me to the... hospital. They have checked me over and done some tests and some x-rays. The blow to my head was severe. Fortunately, it did not cause any serious internal injury. However I have three broken ribs, I have a compound fracture in the left leg, and they think they mayhave to amputate my right foot." Wife's Response: "Who's Paula?"

http://www.nhpco.org//ten-facts-about-hospice-care-you-may

Please share the following with the staff. Cannot express how much the support of your organization and specifically the doctor and on-duty nurses has meant to me. As you may know my mom died early today. The two nurses I interacted with over the last couple of days (Karina and Maria) went out of their way to keep me apprised of my mom's status. The were thoughtful and very kind to me. Thank you for all of the much needed support.... ( this was sent by the patients daughter that was in Our services ) Thank You very much Spectrum Hospice, Inc. Team .

Hospice Eligibility Criteria

How is hospice paid for? Hospice is a benefit paid for by most private insurance companies as well as Medicaid and Medicare programs. In order to choose the hospice benefit, a person's care has to shift from cure to comfort. This can be a difficult and confusing time. If you understand whether the treatment that you or your loved one is undergoing is curative or palliative, it should be easier for you. The way to understand this is to ask your doctor if the purpose of your tr...eatment is to eliminate your disease (which is curative) or to keep discomfort under better control (palliative). For example, radiation therapy can be palliative or curative. Its palliative use reduces pain, particularly with certain types of cancer in the bone. Chemotherapy can also be used to comfort rather than cure, to relieve pain by reducing tumors and such symptoms as vomiting, shortness of breath or confusion. In both cases the goal is to help the person live comfortably. See more

How do you get into a hospice program? Usually the primary care physician will recommend that a patient contact hospice, but patients or family members can contact a local hospice directly for information. Hospices are listed in the yellow pages of the phone book. Talk with your doctor or his staff, or with friends who have had experience with hospice care.

Who are members of the hospice team? The hospice team can include a doctor, visiting nurses, social workers, physical, speech, occupational or dietary therapist, home health aids, spiritual counselors, and volunteers. But most important is someone who is available as the primary caregiver at home. This person can be a spouse, partner, or another relative, such as a son or daughter, or even a neighbor or a team of people from your community.

How did hospice begin? Modern day hospice has its roots in early hospitality customs. In ancient Rome, hospitals were places where gladiators and slaves were given immediate treatment for their injuries. Early Christian hospices offered refuge to pilgrims, injured travelers, the ill, and victims of disasters. The modern hospice movement was founded by Dame Cicely Saunders. In 1967 in England, she established the first in-patient facility, St. Christopher's Hospital, to offer care specifically for dying people. At St. Christopher's, patients are encouraged to continue with their interests, to live as actively as possible, and to maintain as much contact as they can with their loved ones in a calm, peaceful, homelike environment until death comes.

What is hospice? For the most part, in the United States, hospice is a home-based program of palliative care for people who are terminally ill. Every hospice is made up of a team of professionals. The team includes a doctor, a nurse, an aide to help with physical care, a social worker, a chaplain and volunteers. There is also help available from physical, speech and occupational therapists, and a dietician. This team is trained to help patients and their families. Although h...ospice care most often takes place in a patient's own home, hospice programs can also treat people who live in nursing homes. A few hospices provide inpatient beds for a short term stay if home caregivers need a break, which is called "respite care." Occasionally, a patient can also stay in an in-patient hospice facility to receive a longer-term treatment for symptom management. When the respite stay is over, or the symptom has been managed, the patient returns home. See more

Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Life's too short to be anything... but happy. - Anonymous