THE CONVERSATION PROJECT
The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. It’s one of the most important conversations you can have. This Starter Kit can help get thoughts together and then have the conversation. http://theconversationproject.org/starter-kit/intro/
Hospice:
Per the Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State (http://www.hpcanys.org):
Hospice provides appropriate skilled, compassionate care to patients and their families so that they receive the support, help and guidance they need to meet the challenges of serious illness. A personalized plan of care, incorporating what is important to the patient and the caregiver, is developed. It is sensitive to their needs, emphasizes quality of life, and assists patients to live as fully and comfortably as possible.
- Embraces all patients coping with advanced illnesses
- Focuses on comfort rather than cure
- Emphasizes quality of life
- Promotes personal choice and individual dignity
- Respects the traditions and wishes of the patient and the patient’s family
- Most often provides care in the patient’s home, but when necessary, can also provide care in a nursing home and inpatient setting
- Utilizes current treatments and medications
- Addresses physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs
- Provides care and support to the bereaved
This link will help you find hospice agencies that service your area just by inputting your zip code. Many of the agencies serve much of the New York metro area; others serve specific areas.
https://www.memberleap.com/members/directory/search_bootstrap.php?org_id=NYHP
Hospice Medicare Benefit
Coping with a terminal illness can be a difficult enough experience without having to worry about pain management, medication costs, and assistance with caregiving. Surprisingly, many Medicare beneficiaries are unaware that Medicare’s all-inclusive Hospice Benefit is available to assist dying patients and their families with these issues at the end of life. Hospice care offers a team-oriented approach to medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to the dying patient’s needs and wishes. For patients who qualify, Medicare will pay for this kind of comprehensive end-of-life care delivered at home or in a hospice facility. The Medicare benefit includes many services not generally covered by Medicare and more than 90 percent of the more than 2,500 hospices in the United States are certified by Medicare.
Comfort Care and Letting Go: This Teepa Snow 5 minute segment, as posted on Alzheimer’s Weekly talks about letting go. . . http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/2014/08/comfort-care-letting-go.html
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is both a philosophy and an organized system of care providing an extra layer of support to what is already being received. Palliative care is provided by an interdisciplinary team and is focused on the relief of suffering not only from physical pain, but also emotional, social and spiritual pain to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of an illness, and it can be provided along with treatments that are meant to cure.
CaringKind offers a wonderful, comprehensive booklet on Palliative Care and why comfort care is so important. You can read it here: https://www.caringkindnyc.org/palliativecare/
Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State:
https://www.memberleap.com/members/directory/search_bootstrap.php?org_id=NYHP
