Month Highlights Benefits of Care
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
During National Hospice and Palliative Care month, our goal is to help inform individuals and families of their options for care. Knowing not only what type of care is available, but also which care is right at which time, is invaluable information when making healthcare choices.
Hospice care and Palliative care are not the same.
Many people confuse these two types of care as being one and the same. While both are based on care practices of managing pain and symptoms, knowing which care is appropriate can help people access care earlier in the disease process for improved quality of life and longer life.
Can Palliative Care Help Me or My Loved One?
According to the CDC, one in four Americans is living with a serious or chronic illness. That number increases to those over the age of 65. Palliative care is a specialized type of medical care that can help reduce pain and symptoms while the patient is undergoing treatment. More and more doctors are now recommending palliative care to patients undergoing treatment for cancer, heart and lung diseases, and diabetes, to name a few. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and any stage of illness to improve quality of life. To find out if palliative care is appropriate for you or your loved one, call us at 1-800-733-1476.
When is Hospice Care Appropriate?
“Every year, nearly 1.4 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospices in this country,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). “These highly-trained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect and love during life’s most difficult journey.”
Hospice care is covered under the Medicare Hospice Benefit and is appropriate for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less. Under the Medicare benefit, hospice-related care, medications and supplies are 100% covered. Hospice care is not about losing hope; it is about improving quality of life for individuals and their families to focus on the things that are most important to them for whatever time is left.
An interdisciplinary team provides medical, spiritual and emotional care to patients and their families. Patients are served in the comfort of their own homes or wherever they call home. When pain cannot be managed at home, patients and families are cared for at one of our three home-like hospice care centers. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (formerly Lower Cape Fear Hospice) is the only hospice provider in our area to offer inpatient care facilities in our area. To find out if hospice care can help you or a loved one, call us at 1-800-733-1476.
Lower Cape Fear LifeCare never refuses care based on ability to pay.
My Hospice
This year’s theme for National Hospice and Palliative Care Month is ‘My Hospice.’ For nearly 40 years, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has been the provider of choice to thousands of families in our area. With more staff certified in hospice and palliative care, and years of recognition by HealthCare First’s Hospice Honors and Hospice Honors Elite, there is no other hospice provider in the area with as much experience in providing care. We strive to provide the highest level of quality of care and support, and it shows. See how we compare to other providers by visiting Medicare’s Hospice Compare website. (due to our recent name change, please look for us as Lower Cape Fear Hospice)