November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

Celebrating November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, members of the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association witness Greencastle Mayor Bill Dory sign a proclamation to that effect recently at City Hall. In front with Mayor Dory are Elaine Peck (left) and Jinsie Bingham, while standing (from left) are Dr. John Savage, Kati Wallace, Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association Director Tammy Hunter and Charity Pankratz.

Banner Graphic/Eric Bernsee

Hospice is not a place but is high-quality care that enables patients and families to focus on living as fully as possible despite a life-limiting illness. Palliative care brings this holistic model of care to people earlier in the course of a serious illness.

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospice and palliative care programs across the country are reaching out to help people understand all that hospice and palliative care offer.

In recent months, a number of notable Americans have died. They include Sen. John McCain, the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and former First Lady Barbara Bush. In many media reports, they were described as having “given up” on curative care late in their lives. Ms. Franklin opted for hospice care; Mrs. Bush received what was described as “comfort care.”

It is essential that people understand that accessing hospice and palliative care is not giving up, it is not the abandonment of care, it is not reserved for the imminently dying,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. “Hospice is a successful model of person-centered care that brings hope, dignity and compassion when they are most needed. This is one reason that the national My Hospice Campaign was launched this year.

Every year, nearly 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive care from hospices in this country, reports NHPCO. Hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support and spiritual care to patients and their family caregivers when a cure is not possible.

“We are very grateful to the Banner-Graphic for devoting this month’s issue of The Senior Odyssey to hospice services, palliative care and advance care planning issues,” Tammy Hunter, director for the Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association, noted. “We want our community to be aware of all that hospice and palliative care services can offer their families.”

More information about hospice, palliative care and advance care planning is available at pchpca.org or from NHPCO’s CaringInfo.org.