![]() Hospice’s interdisciplinary care teams provide “whole body” care in that they address not only physical needs but also psychosocial and spiritual needs. The fact is that hospice care provides months of improved quality of life for patients and their loved ones. Unfortunately, that is the case for too many as most people are referred to care when they are already actively dying. ![]() When people hear that someone they know is in hospice care, many think that means that the person only has days to live. Hospice provides for months of care and support. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has actually supported many patients in realizing bucket list wishes while receiving hospice care: taking one last trip to the beach, meeting their rock ‘n roll hero, marrying the love of their life, and realizing a lifetime wish to exhibit their artwork, just to name a few. Goals are re-evaluated as the illness progresses, allowing patients and their loved ones to remain in control of their care. Individualized plans of care allow patients to determine what is most important to them while receiving care. The focus is on quality of life instead of a cure. When curative treatment is no longer available or desired, hospice care allows people to live in comfort and dignity for whatever time they have left. Hospice is about choosing to focus on what’s most important at this time of life. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare is the only hospice provider in our region to operate inpatient facilities. These home-like, serene facilities are available exclusively for our patients. When care and symptoms cannot be managed in a residential setting, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare provides care to patients and families in one of its three inpatient hospice care centers. At end of life, it provides a dignified, peaceful death. Care focuses on pain and symptom management, as well as reducing stress and anxiety, to improve quality of life. More than 90 percent of hospice patients receive care right where they live: in a private residence, assisted living community, skilled nursing facility, or even in a hospital. Hospice is a philosophy of care that provides care and support where people are most comfortable – at home. When care is needed for someone living with a terminal or life-limiting illness, it’s important to understand everything that hospice offers so to improve quality of life for the entire family. Being informed is the first step in making complex healthcare decisions and in experiencing the improved quality of life that hospice care offers patients and their loved ones. Often, these misconceptions keep people and their loved ones from getting the care and support they need at a time when they need it most.
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