alert and is able to walk and dress himself.
He smiles at visitors, announcing that his
hospice nurse helped him shower today.
hospice volunteers pick up groceries and
do light cooking. Nurses count and orga-
nize his pills, check his skin and bowels,
and apply bandages when he needs them.
says. "William would have been in the
hospital a long time ago."
six months of life. But his longevity has
not affected his hospice care.
tionally, physically, and spiritually," says
Tina Beede, a nurse with Community
Health and Counseling Services (CHCS) of
Bangor, which provides hospice to resi-
dents of Penobscot, Hancock, Piscataquis,
and Washington Counties.
St. Joseph Homecare and Hospice serves
Penobscot, Waldo, and Hancock Counties;
the Eastern Maine HomeCare Hospice Pro-
gram, a subsidiary of Eastern Maine
Healthcare System (EMHS), covers north-
ern Kennebec, Penobscot, Hancock, and
Aroostook Counties; and New Hope Hos-
pice covers an area in a 30-mile radius of
their Eddington office.
nated with primary care physicians, home
health aides, and specially trained com-
munity volunteers. The team provides
medications and medical supplies, nutri-
tion counseling, and pain management.
provides to the hospice patient's relatives,
often children and their families, through
spiritual support and grief counseling. If
the family so chooses, a social worker will
hold large talking sessions where relatives
of the hospice patient can talk openly
related to the life or death of the hospice
patient.
be the focus, but hope for comfort, hope
for resolution, and hope for the family's
future is very important," says Reita
Abbott, administrator for St. Joseph Home-
care and Hospice.
even after the hospice patient has died.
hospice programs--up from only 25,000
patients in 1982, according to the National
Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
[NHPCO]. NHPCO estimates that nearly
40% of U.S. deaths in 2008 were in a hos-
pice setting, usually at home.
Medicare benefit--most hospice patients,
just over 80%, are 65 or older, according to
NHPCO data. Another reason is public out-
reach and education efforts.
vice president of Continuum of Care at
EMHS.
and only 4% of those who qualified took
advantage of hospice care. Today Maine's
ranking has improved to 30th.
ton Counties," says Helen Burlock, director
of Health Services for CHCS. "Many people
don't realize it exists, or think that it's only
for seniors, or that it means they'll lose
control over their care."
few weeks of life. For those terminally ill
patients who do not have the extensive sup-
port of family, friends, or a church commu-
nity, CHCS, EMHS, and St. Joseph Hospital
are joining forces to pursue the construction
of a hospice house in the Bangor area.
designed for patients at home, which is
where most people want to die.
Truth: Hospice is for anyone suffering from
a terminal illness with a prognosis of six
months or less.
Truth: Hospice serves terminally ill patients
of all ages and their families.
Truth: Medicare and Medicaid cover
all costs of hospice, as do most private
insurance companies.
Truth: Hospice care and all of its services
are completely voluntary. It is designed
for patients who elect not to seek active,
curative treatment for a terminal illness.
Truth: Hospice is often a reasonable
alternative to continued aggressive
treatment for terminal conditions. Hospice
services can allow a patient to live out the
end of life with dignity, comfort, and peace.
one's care.
Truth: It's the opposite--families and care
providers may make recommendations, but
the hospice patient maintains control over
medical care and social services.
change doctors.
Truth: In most cases, the patient's primary
care provider will lead the hospice team.