Hospice can help ensure the best quality of care for those who are reaching the final phase of their lives. But common misconceptions about hospice can prevent people from taking advantage of the resources, comfort and support that hospice programs provide for patients and their loved ones. Here are important truths about hospice.

Hospice is not just for a person’s final days. Too often, patients with a terminal diagnosis enter hospice care in the last days or weeks of life, missing out on the support and services they and their loved ones could have received. Ideally, patients should be referred to hospice when they have a life expectancy of six months or less and are no longer seeking curative treatment. Six months is only a guideline; there is no fixed time frame to receive hospice benefits.

Hospice is not necessarily a physical location. Hospice is a philosophy of care that takes place wherever the patient calls home, which includes nursing homes, private residences, assisted living facilities and group homes. Aultman’s inpatient unit is available for hospice patients when their symptoms are uncontrolled and they need 24-hour care until their symptoms become manageable again.

Hospice and palliative care are not the same. Palliative care is appropriate for anyone with a serious illness. You can be expected to recover fully and still be appropriate for palliative care. Palliative care helps patients manage symptoms from a serious illness so they can regain control of their lives and have a better quality of life. For example, a patient may receive palliative care to manage side effects from a chemotherapy treatment.

Hospice is appropriate when a patient has a terminal diagnosis of six months or less to live and is not seeking curative treatment. Hospice pays for medicine and equipment related to the terminal diagnosis, offers a much more robust visiting schedule of clinicians throughout the week and includes a 24-hour on-call nurse available for emergencies after hours.

Morphine effectively controls pain at the end of life. Sometimes people question the use of morphine, thinking it may hasten a patient’s death. Morphine is one of the most effective and safe medications available to control pain at the end of life. Hospice physicians prescribe morphine and many other pain medications to keep patients comfortable. These medications do not cause death.

Aultman physicians are certified in hospice and palliative care and have years of experience using morphine to effectively manage pain and other symptoms. Aultman also has a dedicated pharmacist with specialized training in medications used at the end of life. Through the collaboration of our physicians and pharmacist, Aultman patients receive the most safe and effective use of morphine.

Seeking hospice care does not mean giving up. Hospice care focuses on the quality of life with the time the patient has left. But if the goals of the patient change, and the patient desires curative treatment again, they can be discharged from hospice at any time. Patients are eligible to re-enroll in hospice at any time, provided they still meet eligibility criteria.

Hospice does not stop people from eating and drinking. Hospice patients are encouraged to eat and drink whatever they desire. Patients often enter hospice with dietary restrictions due to difficulty swallowing. Those restrictions are usually lifted during hospice service, thus allowing patients to eat anything they are able to eat that provides them pleasure. As a patient’s condition declines, the patient loses interest in eating and drinking. They do not feel hunger and thirst at that time, as this is part of the dying process.

Hospice is a vital resource at the end of life that can help keep the patient comfortable and guide the family through the grieving process. For more information, visit the Aultman Hospice and Palliative Care website.