Wednesday, November 7, 2001

November is National Hospice Month

By Janet McGregor

One thing we all have in common is the fact that somehow, some day, we are all going to die.

For most, although it is inevitable, thinking and planning for death is avoided. It is human nature to shy away from something most consider disagreeable. We may be superstitious - if we think about it or plan for it, we somehow may bring it to our doorstep faster.

Some have a cavalier attitude - it's going to happen someday, why worry about it? Some are fearful of death, others are more fearful of suffering beforehand.

As a rule the vast majority think of death as something unpleasant to consider at best.

A recent study by the National Hospice Foundation found that Americans are more likely to talk to their children about drugs and sex than to talk to their elderly parents about terminal illness and death. Most of us have some ideas regarding how we would like to spend our final stage of life, however we rarely share our thoughts with family members.

We are often unprepared for the stresses, both physical and emotional, that affect those who face death. Additionally, while we may have some thoughts about how we would like to be taken care of in the event we face a terminal illness, only 24 percent of us have put something in writing and only 35 percent have told someone else how they prefer to be cared for, per the study.

National Hospice month is sponsored by the Hospice Association of America to honor "Hospice: Dignity, Comfort & Inner Peace." The month long celebration pays tribute to hospice providers and "serves as a means of increasing public awareness about choices in end-of-life care that are available to the community," per Hospice Association literature.

"All too often people facing terminal illness don't know where to turn for comfort and support," said Mary Jo Wilson, Portsbridge Hospice administrator. "Our goal is to diminish the fears that make people reluctant to talk about death and to let them know about the supportive, compassionate and pain-relieving services that hospice provides."

Resources:

Portsbridge Hospice an organization dedicated to the care of patients with life limiting illnesses. The focus of care is comfort rather than cure.

115 Huntington Park Drive

Fayetteville, Georgia 30214

770-716-5545

www.portsbridgehospice.com

Southwest Christian Hospice and Hope House a non-profit ministry providing quality hospice health care at no cost to patients or their families.

7225 Lester Road

Union City, Georgia 30291

770-969-8354

www.swchospice.org/

Hospice Net

Suite 51

01 Bowling Ave.

Nashville, Tennessee 37205

http://www.hospicenet.org/

For patients and families facing life-threatening illness, Hospice Net is an independent, nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization working exclusively through the Internet.

American Hospice Foundation

2120 L Street, NW

Suite 200

Washington, DC 20037

202-223-0204

E-mail: ahf@msn.com

www.americanhospice.org/

The American Hospice Foundation aids programs that serve the needs of terminally ill and grieving individuals of all ages.

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

The AAHPM is an organization of physicians and other medical professionals dedicated to excellence in palliative medicine, the prevention and relief of suffering among patients and families by providing education and clinical practice standards, fostering research, facilitating personal and professional development of its member and by public policy advocacy.

4700 W. Lake Ave.

Glenview, IL 60025-1485

(847) 375-4712

http://www.aahpm.org/

Back to Prime Timers Home Page | Back to the top of the page