Author: Judah

When we think about a hospice care facility, we envision a dark and dreary place, where death looms like a gray cloud signaling the end. But modern-day hospice founder, Dame Cicely Saunders, thought differently. She coined the term 'total pain,' from her view that “dying people have physical, spiritual, psychological, and social pain that must be treated..." She believed strongly that dying isn’t dead. It is still living, and every person deserves to live through the dying process with dignity, love, inclusion --and light. The ideal hospice model, whether it takes place within the patient’s home, the hospital, a nursing home, or a specialized facility, provides numerous comfort-care and palliative services for every phase of those final months of a person’s life. There are four levels of hospice care as defined by Medicare: routine home care, continuous home care, general inpatient care, and respite care. A patient’s doctor will determine if hospice care is the right choice for him/her. Using a team approach, each level is designed to relieve the family and the patient of the challenges associated with that stage of care. Stage 1: Routine Home Care Routine home care can take place in the home as well as a nursing or assisted living facility. It includes the most basic services such as nursing, physician care, social services, counseling (i.e. spiritual, dietary, bereavement, etc.), medications, medical supplies, lab work, and therapy services. Level 2: Continuous Home Care With continuous home care, a nurse remains with the patient in his …