By:  Paul Russ, Vice President of Marketing and Development at Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro

My father was a stubborn man. He had a passion for crossword puzzles and golf, and little patience for anything that interfered with these two pastimes.

I remember visiting him for the holidays after he became ill. Things seemed pretty normal, except for the “elephant in the living room.” (Is my father dying? Is death coming soon?) Anxiously, I scheduled another visit for soon after the New Year.

Shockingly, in those short weeks he had lost nearly 20 pounds. He said he was in constant pain. His physician had prescribed medication for the pain, but my father said the pills made him “loopy.” When he took them, he couldn’t think clearly enough to do his crossword puzzle. My father wasn’t taking his medication.

I knew my father’s illness was terminal, but I have to admit I was surprised by his condition. He was declining so quickly. I encouraged my parents to call hospice.

At first they were resistant. My parents thought hospice care would be costly and was only for the patient’s “final days.” Clearly, they didn’t understand the support that hospice could provide or how services were paid for.

In early February, the hospice team made their first visit. After assessing my father, they determined his oxygen levels were low. The next day, an oxygen generator was delivered to the house – paid for by hospice. The hospice nurse, an expert in pain management, reviewed his medications and learned of my father’s reactions to his pain pills. She explained there were other medications that might be more tolerable and she offered to talk with his physician about the alternatives. As a result his medications were changed.

In March I went home again to celebrate my mother’s birthday. I didn’t know what to expect. To my surprise and delight, my father had regained the weight he had lost, and his grimace had been replaced with a familiar smile. His only complaint that day was the crossword puzzle from the morning paper was not challenging enough.

My father lived until September that year – more than seven months after being admitted to hospice care. I am the youngest of seven children and we are all spread out across the United States. Those seven months of “living” that hospice gave us, allowed all my brothers and sisters to make it home to visit my father. In fact, six of us were with him the night he died. We held his hands, sang songs and told stories as he took his last breaths.

That was my first personal experience with hospice. A year later, I started working for Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro (HPCG). During my tenure at HPCG, I have learned there are many myths about hospice. Here are five myths, and the true facts.

 

Hospice Myths

1)  Calling hospice is “giving up.” No. Hospice care is about supporting the family and caregiver while enabling the patient to live as fully and comfortably as possible.

2)  People think they must wait for their physician to suggest hospice care. No. HPCG encourages people to be advocates and to explore all of their healthcare choices.

3)  Hospice care is only provided in private homes. No. While many patients receive care in their homes, hospice services are available wherever the patient calls “home,” including assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

4)  Hospice only serves cancer patients. No. Hospices serve patients with many diagnoses. At HPCG, 58% of our patients have non-cancer diagnoses; only 42% have cancer diagnoses.

5)  Hospice care should be called only in the last moments of life. No. Earlier referrals are better for the patient and the family. Families often say they wish hospice had been called sooner.