However, we often do have a
choice about where our loved ones pass away. We have a choice about whether
they pass away in a hospital, poked and prodded until their last minutes on
Earth, or if they die in hospice.
Unfortunately, too few of
us actually take advantage of hospice, because too few of us really understand
what it is…and what it isn’t.
WHAT IT IS
“Hospice” is derived from
the Latin word “hospitium” - guest-house. Of course, it’s not exactly a place
you’d go to on vacation.
It is, however, a place in which to die with dignity. A place in which the
patient is enveloped in a loving, warm atmosphere, in which the emphasis is on
pain-relief, rather than cure.
Hospice is simply an
approach to caring for patients at the end of their lives. It’s focused on
improving remaining life, rather than prolonging it. And on the patient’s – and
the family’s – emotional needs.
Hospice can be provided
in a local facility…or in the patient’s home. And there’s no cost; it’s
provided under Medicare.
WHAT IT ISN’T
Hospice is not a place to
go a day before you die. And it’s not, unfortunately, a place recommended by
enough physicians.
It’s simply a place in which you can leave this life with dignity and
with peace.
Hospice also offers
another big advantage. It’s a final opportunity (for both patient and family)
to tie up any loose ends in their estate planning…and to make sure the
patient’s wishes are honored.
At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we’re Elder
Law attorneys. We’ve been helping South Florida families tie up loose ends –
and honoring love ones’ wishes - for 33 years. And we’ve been helping them
prepare for the inevitable (whenever it comes), with comprehensive estate
planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning,
asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA.
If your loved one is
nearing the end of life, consider hospice. And make sure their wishes will be
honored. It’s the ultimate gift.
We’re just a phone call
away.
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