November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

To the Editor:

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. There seems to be confusion and misunderstandings about what these terms mean.

Palliative Care:

-- Improves quality of life of patients, families facing life threatening illness.

-- Prevents and relieves suffering.

-- Treats pain and other distressing symptoms.

-- Affirms life and regards dying as normal.

-- Offers a support system to help.

-- Uses a team approach.

-- Enhances quality of life and may positively influence the course of illness.

Hospice Care:

-- Is a specialized type of palliative care.

-- Is not just for cancer patients.

-- Offers no curative treatment.

-- Is appropriate when life expectancy is less than six months (attested by a physician).

-- Care is not limited to six months.

-- Offers an interdisciplinary team approach.

-- Comes to the patient wherever they are.

-- Offers 13 months of bereavement services to family members. (Anna Dauer, MD)

The Putnam County Hospice and Palliative Care Association was formed by an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation by Mary Louise Miller to raise awareness about these services. If you would like more information, visit our website www.pchpca.org, or call the office @ 765-655-2524.

Tammy Hunter
Director, Putnam County
Hospice and Palliative Care Association