Who Is Hospice Care For? We Serve Anyone Who Qualifies 

Some mistakenly believe that hospice only serves those with cancer. But when examining who is hospice for, you may be surprised to learn that the majority of hospice patients don’t have cancer. They have other illnesses like heart-related illnesses, lung-related illnesses, and neurologic conditions. 

In addition, incidences come to hospice when people need help and somewhere to go. 

But why does this myth persist? And what’s the history behind hospice?

The Truth About Who Is Hospice Care For? 

Perhaps one reason that the myth that hospice is only for cancer patients persists is that hospice generally started by taking care of cancer patients, primarily in the last days of life. However, hospice has grown–particularly over the last 15 years–and expanded to be more inclusive. This includes helping those who have any type of life-limiting disease.

Who is hospice care for? Following are a few of the conditions that hospice patients have:

• COPD
• Pulmonary (lung) fibrosis
• ALS
• Parkinson’s disease
• Serious, life-limiting injuries
• End-stage kidney disease
• End-stage liver disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Stroke
• AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Heart valve disorders.

The key is that hospice patients are at the point where they are no longer seeking curative treatment. Instead, the goal is to minimize discomfort and manage the symptoms of these diseases through compassionate care.

Items to Consider When Entering Hospice Care

We’ve already reviewed that when considering who is hospice care for, it is for anyone who has a life-limiting illness with six months or less to live. However, we recognize that the decision to go into hospice care is an individual one, and we’d like for you to take into account some issues.

Ask yourself:

If this disease is progressing and will ultimately be terminal, how aggressively do you want to treat it? At what point do you want to emphasize the quality of your life? 

We encourage anyone considering hospice to talk to the doctors who are treating them, to their family, and take some time to themselves to think about what they might want before choosing hospice care.

Lower Cape Fear Life Care: Serving Hospice Patients with Grace and Dignity for Decades

Lower Cape Fear Life Care has earned its stellar reputation by providing high quality comfort care to those who are facing life-limiting illnesses. We’re here for the entire family, offering bereavement care,  specialized veterans’ services and inpatient hospice care centers for those whose pain and symptoms cannot be managed in a residential setting.

If you or anyone you know has a life-limiting illness, please give us a call at 800-733-1476. We’ll be glad to explain hospice care and answer any questions you may have. We can talk to your doctor, and we can have you assessed for hospice care. We consider it a privilege to care for both the patient and their families during this challenging time on their journeys.