Hospice Promotes Quality of Life for Patient and Family Article
*As seen in The Cornwall Local/News of the Highlands Senior Living publication Feb. 26, 2021
Hospice Care Promotes Quality of Life for Patient and Family
Janice Valentino, Dir. Marketing and Community Outreach
Hospice of Orange and Sullivan Counties, Inc.
“The only thing I can think of that is worse than needing Hospice care, is not having Hospice care when you need it.” No truer statement can be spoken.
Hospice is a special concept 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. Yet many of our community members in need of our support often wait too long, preventing all interdisciplinary care to be experienced.
We know this and understand it is primarily fear due to not understanding what Hospice Care is. Hospice is a Medicare Benefit with the goal of improving the quality of a patient’s life, not to hasten death. Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals offering the patient, caregivers and family members the care and support they need often taking much of the burden off the caregiver allowing more time with family, thus, enhancing quality of life. Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient’s pain and discomfort and provides the emotional, social and spiritual support for the patient and the patient’s family. Hospice also offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services for adults and children of families before and after a patient’s death. These services are open to the public with no fee. You need not have had a loved one on the hospice program to receive these services. All bereavement support groups are available for adults, children and teens and have been revised to ensure safety during our current pandemic.
HOSPICE of Orange and Sullivan Counties, Inc. provides care in the home, hospital, nursing home, group home, adult care facility or at The Kaplan Family Hospice Residence, located in Newburgh, NY. Most hospice care is provided in the home, with a family member or members serving as the primary caregiver. If you, a loved one or someone you know needs this special end-of-life care or needs bereavement support please call Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties today at 845- 561-6111 or find us at www.hospiceoforange.com or on Facebook.