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The Gifts of Hospice

Issue 15.14

On a recent visit to a patient’s home, I was struck by his enthusiasm for the care he was receiving from Hospice.  He was very grateful for all the people he had met since coming on service.  “They are such wonderful people,” he said. 

As we talked further, he stated he no longer wanted to continue with chemotherapy or radiation.  After several months of treatment he decided to let the disease take its course.  He stated he wanted to enjoy whatever time he had left without the debilitating side effects of further chemo/radiation treatment.

He stated he was happy when his doctor recommended going on hospice as an alternative means of care.  “Hospice is such a gift,” he told me.  His wife seconded that notion explaining how having someone come to assist in bathing him was a real blessing for them.  It relieved her of the constant fear of his possible falling while she helped him.   

This is not the first time a family has expressed gratitude for hospice.  I hear this frequently from families I serve.  They state that hospice is a great gift for them in caring for their loved ones.

So, what are the gifts of hospice?  For an answer I asked my Hospice Director, David Isom, who has worked in this field for over 15 years and initiated the hospice service at Southern Utah Home Care.  He enumerated several gifts of hospice to me.

“The primary gift of hospice is the comfort care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient.  That’s what hospice service is all about,” he said.  Secondly, “The gift of life for whatever time the patient has left.  The comfort care they receive gives them the ability and opportunity to finish their business and to take care of the things they want to do.”

“Another gift of hospice is having additional support from medical professionals to provide that comfort care,” he continued.   A community of loving professionals surrounds the patient and their family to provide them with the support they need in every area of their lives.

One of the surprising gifts of hospice David shared with me was that “research has shown hospice patients live longer than those patients with similar terminal illnesses who are not receiving hospice care.”  That certainly contradicts the notion that hospice causes people to die sooner if they come on service.

These are just some of the gifts people receive when they decide to accept hospice care for themselves or a family member.  The greatest gift of hospice is for patients and their families to know they do not have to face death alone.  There is a community of loving people ready to care for them and be companions with them in meeting one of life’s greatest challenges.  

To learn more regarding hospice services, contact David Isom in St. George 435-634-9300 or Lisa Ross in Hurricane 435-635-9300.  

Luigi Persichetti is the spiritual counselor for Southern Home Care and Hospice and retired Unity Minister from Unity Center of Positive Living in St. George.

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