Hospice
General Purpose of the Department:
As we have learned, the hospice idea is not new. Literally meaning "given to hospitality," hospices provided comfort, kindness, and nourishment to people in need hundreds of years ago. Today, hospices offer comfort to people as they near the end of life's journey.
Hospice is a special way of caring for people with terminal illnesses and their families. It is a multidisciplinary health care program that is responsible for palliative and supportive care with consideration of the patient's and families wishes. Hospice focuses on care, not cure.
Hospice care is important because it provides many benefits that aren't possible in a traditional acute or long-term health care setting. Within hospice, the family of the patient is directly involved in making decisions and helping their loved one. Hospice also gives the patient to have a great amount of control by deciding where they want to spend the rest of their lives. It can also help make choices about advanced directives which we will discuss shortly.
Major Functions of the Department:
Hospice is a very unique department because it truly looks at the "big picture" and treats a spectrum of patient needs equally. Special attention is given to:
Physical needs - this is the first and foremost function. Within hospice you are dealing with a patient that has been given a diagnosis of having 6 months or less to live. For many patients, relieving pain through medication is an important part of hospice care. I have provided you with a list of ways that patients are made more comfortable. A goal of hospice it to help patients use their physical abilities as fully as possible.
Social Needs - Sometimes little things make all the difference to people.
Although these patients may not be as active as before their illness, you can see on your handout a list of things that they probably still enjoy. Hospice can help to make these things happen, as well as provide assistance with practical issues like putting finances in order.
Emotional Needs: Hospice can help patients cope with loneliness, isolation, and the fear of being abandoned. This is outlined on your handout as to how the hospice staff accomplishes this. Hospice also helps friends and families of the patient express their emotions through group and bereavement counseling.
Spiritual Needs - the realization that a person's spirituality is of a daily concern to the patient has led hospice care to this area. Hospice tries to organize the types of care outlined on your handout. Members of the clergy can also help family and friends who are in need of spiritual support.
God tells his children, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation). Death is one of the most frightening and confusing times a person can go through. Watching a loved one pass away is also one of the hardest trials a person can experience. Many people assume that death is a time of pain and the only thing that they can do is mourn and watch their loved one fade away from the earth. This is wrong. There are ways that people can turn a bad situation to good. Dying doesn’t have to be painful and full of suffering. The County Hospice staff makes sure of this. The Hospice staff not only takes care of passing patients physically, but they also take care of the patients emotionally and spiritually. Hospice staff also plays a key role in helping families during the grieving process.
Being in hospice care is a better alternative than being stuck in the hospital to try to avoid the unavoidable. Common misconceptions about Hospice could include that hospice makes life more miserable; however, a physician expressed his findings in Hospice,“You can only fail a patient if you fail to understand and respond to their needs. We may not be able to cure all of our patients, but if we can make them comfortable in the last moments of their lives, we will not have failed them”..Hospice care gradually emerged in the 1970s, when groups like the National Hospice Organization were formed “in response to the unmet needs of dying patients and their families for whom traditional medical care was no longer effective.”Herbert Hendin, an executive director of the American Suicide Foundations illustrates a story of a young man diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukemia and was expected to have only a few months before he died. He persistently asked the doctor to assist him, but he eventually accepted the medical treatment. His doctor told him he can use his time wisely to become close to his family. Two days before he died, Tim talked about what he would have missed without the opportunity for a
On February 14th I spent a day doing something I never thought I would do in a million years, I went to hospice. I always thought I would hate hospice, but I actually didn’t mind it too much, it isn’t a job I see myself doing in the future but it is a job that I understand why people do it and why they enjoy it. During this observation I was touched by how much these nurses really seem to care for each of the patients that they have.
Also giving them the courage to take on opportunities that they are not confident in.
"Palliative Care | Cancer.Net." Doctor-approved Cancer Information from ASCO | Cancer.Net. Cancer.net, Feb. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2011. .
to choose their future. Starting from success, family and their individuality has been taken. Furthermore,
Throughout her presentation, she explains how public stigmas, once again, cause label avoidance pushing many who need help away from treatment. She then goes on to explain how these stereotyped behaviors cause discrimination towards people with a mental illness from employment to housing which only leads to the creation of more stigmas. Finally, she states how the impact of stigmas is associated with the reduction of self-esteem, overall poor health, and problems with interpersonal relationships (Willits). By using this presentation I am able to connect what we have learned about mental health stigmas to my article. First off, for example, Morris explains how psychiatric units invoke people to imagine a frightening place where insane patients are strapped down and poked and prodded for care (Morris). This stereotypical idea relates to how Willits described general stereotypes associated with mental illness such as crazy and dangerous (Willits). On top of that, Willits explained how these stigmas have negative consequences for patients (Willits). This relates to Morris’s explanation on how the stigma around institutions has caused these units to shut down forcing many people to be homeless or live in jail
When you think of home care for a loved one, you want comfort and convenience with quality of life. A misconception of palliative care is that it is equivalent to hospice care, which concentrates on end of life. However, palliative care is now being offered to patients whether it begins early at diagnosis or throughout ongoing treatment. It is no longer limited to medical settings as more health care agencies are now offering it in home care. Think of palliative care as “comfort” care during any stage of illness.
Stigma can be a major issue for those with mental illness. It can come from many different people in their lives, from family to complete strangers. So along with their own issues dealing with symptoms and regaining control of their life back, they also can have a negative influence related to their worth from stigma that can hinder them. Recovery in mental illness is ongoing and develops as the person matures, hopefully progressing in their ability to function better in society (Markowitz, Angell, & Greenberg, 2011). Stigma logically has an influence on self-worth and self-esteem for any group of people. Stigma if a large enough influence can make an individual diagnosed with a mental illness view themselves as tainted or less than before
...ntial factor of negatively portraying mental illness stigmas is the media. Media is tied to all the previous paragraphs as it influences stereotypes, discrimination, prejudice, schools, society, employment, and cultural beliefs. The images depicted in video games, news, and TV spread isolation, discrimination and fears against the mentally ill in society. These negative labels can prevent individuals from finding treatment and lead them to thinking that there is no way of recovery. However more public education strategies are being implemented in the media today. "Real Men, Real Depression" is a public campaign and education strategy that has public service announcements, radio and TV. Successful anti-stigma awareness does not only erase negative labels of the mentally ill, but also shows that mental illness is misunderstood and the ill have their place in society.
The impact of stigma is two-fold, there is the public stigma which surrounds mental illness this is the reaction that the general population has towards those unfortunate enough to suffer with mental illness. Then there is self-stigma which is the judgement and prejudice which those suffering with mental illness turn against themselves. Public and self-stigma may be understood in by exploring three concepts: stereotypes, prejudice, and
Since the creation of Amazon in 1995, it has been a reference of adopting a successful strategy which has preserved over time; being the largest online store in the world nowadays. In addition, i...
The purpose of this essay is to analyse various theories on ageing, death, dying, and end of life issues from different perspectives such as: biophysiological theories, psychosocial theories; and taking in consideration the cultural, historical, and religious implications around the aforementioned life stages. One will also discuss important issues relevant to social work practice such as dignity, autonomy, and their relationship with the concept of a successful ageing and a good death. One considers these areas important since they upheld anti-discriminatory practice and may perhaps promote the development of personalised care pathways, as well as fair and justifiable social policies.
Puckett , P., Hinds, P., & Milligan, M. M. (1996). Who supports you when your patient dies?. RN, 59(10), 48-50, 52-3. doi: 1996037794
The parent would want the child to make a decision based on what would be the best for them rather than just what the child would want to do. This encourages him to make an independent decision base...