Hospice
- Hospice Introduction
- What Hospice Is
- What Hospice Does
- How Hospice Works
- Respite Care
- What Not to Expect
- Financial Considerations
- Web Links
- References
- Authors and Editors
Hospice Introduction
Nobody wants to die, but we all do at some point. The question is not whether you want to die, but how you want to die.
- If you care for someone with a grave illness, or if you care for an older adult relative, hospice care affects you, your family, and the dying person.
- "There's nothing further that can be done." Don't believe this statement if it's made by a doctor. There is always something that can be done. Unfortunately, what can be done may not prolong life, but there is always a valid treatment to bring comfort. This is a promise, and hospice delivers on that promise.
Next: What Hospice Is »
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Hospice
What Is Pain?
When you first experience pain, it is a symptom of illness or injury in the part of your body that is having the pain. The sudden onset of pain is called acute pain. It gets your attention and prompts you to take action to prevent further worsening of the condition causing the pain. This could be a simple action such as the reflex that makes you jerk your hand off a hot stove, or it could be more complex such as cooling, resting, or elevating an injured ankle. Or the pain could prompt you to see a doctor.
We take for granted that we will feel good most of the time. When pain strikes, we feel bad. Pain interrupts our work, our recreation, and our relationships with our families. Comfort, that is, not being in pain, is one of your goals if you are sick and should be one of the goals of treatment for the doctor who is treating you for any illness, but especially for an illness associated with chronic pain.
Once the cause of your pain is found and pr...
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Palliative Care in the Acute Care Setting »
Palliative care has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social and spiritual problems, is paramount.
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