Wednesday, December 22, 2010

What's the Distinction Between Hospice and Palliative Care?

What's the Distinction Between Hospice and Palliative Care?

Author: Daniel Butler

Yankee hospice service started with the Connecticut Hospice in March 1974. Today, there are over 2,884 Medicare-certified hospices, and an extra 200 volunteer hospices within the U.S., with as several as 1.5 million Americans seeking hospice treatment in recent years. As a program designed to facilitate palliative take care of terminally sick patients and their families, several people marvel, what then is that the difference between hospice and palliative care, or are they one in the identical? Whereas palliative care addresses patients with life-threatening illnesses, anyone, regardless of life expectancy, will receive this kind of care. Hospice, meanwhile, provides for patients who will not profit from regular medical treatment, per a doctor\'s determination, and are in the last stages of a terminal illness. Hospice and palliative care share the philosophy of maintaining and managing the patient\'s quality of life. Palliative care programs generally address the physical, psychosocial, and religious wants and expectations of a patient with a life-threatening illness, at any time during that illness, whether or not life expectancy extends to years. Palliative care will not preclude aggressive treatment of an illness, and provides comfort to patients and their loved ones. Patients receive palliative care from a team of doctors, nurses, social staff and clergy in their home or a hospital, however also in nursing or assisted living facilities. Hospitals, hospices, skilled nursing facilities and health care clinics offer these services, that may include a monthly visit to a doctor, or weekly home visits from a social employee or nurse to help manage pain and symptoms. The goal of hospice care is to keep pain and suffering of an individual with a terminal diagnosis to a minimum, and not to cure the illness. Provided in the patient\'s home or in hospice centers, hospitals, skilled nursing homes and alternative long-term care facilities, hospice relies on the assumption that every person has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and with family and friends nearby. Like palliative care, a hospice team is comprised of doctors, nurses, caregivers, social employees and trained volunteers who manage the patient\'s pain and symptoms; assist with the emotional and spiritual aspects of dying, offer needed medications and provides, coach the family on how to worry for the patient, and, offer bereavement counseling to surviving loved ones. Whereas Medicare, Medicaid, most non-public insurance plans, HMOs, and different managed care organizations provide hospice coverage, Medicare or Medicaid does not currently cover palliative care. Some non-public insurance companies cover the costs of care, but it is vital for you to ask the palliative care supplier how or if the services can be covered and what, if any, prices you\'ll be asked to pay. The goal of hospice care is to keep pain and suffering of someone with a terminal diagnosis to a minimum, and not to cure the illness. Provided in the patient\'s home or in hospice centers, hospitals, skilled nursing homes and different long-term care facilities, hospice relies on the assumption that every person has the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and with family and friends nearby.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/whats-the-distinction-between-hospice-and-palliative-care-3886155.html

About the Author

Jeff Patterson has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in Pain Management, you can also check out his latest website about Honeywell Heaters Which reviews and lists the best honeywell gas heaters

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