Myth #4: A Hospice Patient Must Accept That They Are Dying to Receive Care
Part of the support offered by hospice is to help patients and families who are struggling to accept a life-limiting diagnosis. Hospice does not require a patient to accept that they are dying to be admitted.
Myth #5: Hospice Patients Can’t Keep Their Own Physician
When a patient has a long history with a primary care physician, they develop a trusting relationship. We know that bond can help reduce anxiety and provide a patient with the peace of mind they need at the end of life. That is why hospice will allow a patient’s physician to remain as involved in their care as they are able to be. For some primary care physicians, that means receiving frequent updates on their patient’s condition while utilizing the hospice physician for home visits. Others might choose to make the visits themselves.
Myth #6: Hospice is a Place You Move to at the End of Life
Hospice isn’t a place. That is another common myth. Instead, hospice is a philosophy of care. It is an interdisciplinary approach to caring for someone living with a life-limiting illness. Hospice works to help support the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of each patient. The care and support also encompasses the needs of the family. Services are delivered to the hospice patient in whatever location they might be. It could be their private home, an adult child’s home, an assisted living or nursing care community or an inpatient hospice center.
We hope this was helpful to dispel some of the myths about hospice care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has a helpful guide that explains the Medicare Hospice Benefits in greater detail. Learn more about our hospice program. If you missed the first article with more myths to uncover, it is available here.