November is National Hospice Care Month

Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice logo designed by Harley Refsal

Unfortunately, the following situation is one that's far too common and happens every day all across the country: A family is gathered by the bedside of a loved one who has been seriously ill, and now is likely near the end of life. Each member of the family has a different idea of what should be done and what their loved one would have wanted. Throughout the course of the illness, the family never discussed what the care priorities should be in the final months and weeks of life.

Lynnette Kruse, a registered nurse with Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice, recommends families learn more about hospice and palliative care long before their loved one might need it.

"Don't wait until you are in the midst of a health care crisis," says Kruse. "One of the most frequent comments I've heard from families is 'we should have had hospice sooner.'"
 
When a family is coping with a serious illness and a cure is no longer possible, hospice provides the type of care most people say they want at the end of life: comfort and dignity.

Considered to be the model for high-quality, compassionate care for people with a life-limiting illness, hospice care includes specialized medical care, pain and symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support. Care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals and trained volunteers. The wishes of the patient and family are always at the center of care.

Kruse says, "Most hospice care is provided in the home – where the majority of Americans have said they would want to be if facing a life-limiting illness. Hospice care is also provided in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and hospice centers."

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization reports that more than 1.5 million people receive care from hospice every year.

Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice offers information about end-of-life care options and can provide the quality care needed to ensure comfort and dignity when a cure is no longer possible.  Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice also provides in depth support to caregivers and family members before and after the death of their loved one.

Kruse offered some final advice, "One of the best ways to make sure you and your loved ones benefit fully from hospice and palliative care is to talk about it before it becomes an issue."

For more information on local hospice care, contact Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice at 563-387-3024.