What Is Hospice? And How Can They Help My Mom?

“Hospice,” first of all, has nothing to do with “hospital.” A hospital strives to cure sick people…and, often, to keep them from dying. The mission of hospice, on the other hand, is to help terminally-ill patients die with dignity, on their own terms. Hospice is a place where the environment is warm and loving, and staff members have time – and compassion - not only for the patients, but also for their families.  

At hospice, there’s a holistic approach to pain management, which includes emotional and spiritual care. These facilities provide a warm, home-like atmosphere where patients can spend their final days without being poked, prodded, and MRI’ed when virtually no hope of a cure.

Hospice care doesn’t even have to be in a hospice facility and often is not. Staff can often come to the patient’s home or long-term care facility. (Some long-term care facilities even have their own hospice programs.)

Hospice may be called in by one’s doctor when he is determined to probably have no more than six months to live. This is when the goal of “cure” is replaced by “comfort,” and a team of a chaplain, certified nursing assistants, a doctor, registered nurse, and social worker is put together.  

Hospice is also concerned with the survivors. Grief counseling is available on both individual and group levels. And it’s helped many a person get back to living, again. 

This is a tough time. But you don’t have to go through it alone. At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we can show you the way. Not only at the end of life, but also long before that, with estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, asset protection, long-term care planning, and assistance with Medicaid or the VA. Over the past 33 years, we’ve helped thousands of South Florida families. And we’ve done it with professionalism, compassion, and, when necessary, a soft shoulder.

We’re just a phone call away.