Taking the Mystery out of Hospice Care
No one should take the end-of-life journey alone, but quality end-of-life care remains a mystery to many people. Here are a few factors:
Myth – Most people think that hospice is a place.
More than 90 percent of the patients at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (formerly Lower Cape Fear Hospice) are served where they live: private residences, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals.
Myth – It is only for the elderly.
Hospice care is appropriate for anyone at any age that is facing a life-limiting illness. It is appropriate for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less when curative treatment is no longer available or desired.
Fact – Hospice provides hope.
Generally, patients and families experience greater quality of life with hospice care and find there is much to be shared at the end of life through personal and spiritual connections. Studies have also shown that patients who chose hospice care lived an average of one month longer than similar patients who did not choose hospice care.
Fact – It is not just for those dying.
The family-centered approach to hospice care supports the entire family during care and after death. We provide grief support for families for up to 13 months after the loss of a loved one. Thanks to donors and grants, no cost grief groups, workshops and camps are offered to all in our community coping with grief.
Fact – Hospice care is expensive.
The majority of people using hospice care are age 65 or older and are entitled to the Medicare Hospice Benefit. We are a nonprofit hospice. Thanks to the generous support of donors, there is available support for charges not covered by insurance.
Myth – All hospices are the same.
Although the scope of care is generally prescribed, all providers do not adhere to the same level of quality. Nor do they provide the same services. You have a choice in your hospice provider. It is important to be informed about your choices for care.
Be Informed. Know your options for care. Let us be a resource for you.
Since 1980, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (formerly Lower Cape Fear Hospice) has served patients and their families throughout southeastern North Carolina, serving patients where they live – in their homes, hospitals, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. For more information on how to start the conversation about hospice, please call 1-800-733-1476.
