Understanding hospice care

New Haven (WTNH) - It's National Hospice Care month, and now is the perfect time to gain more understanding about the importance of hospice care.

Natalie Farrar from Connecticut VNA Masonicare's Hospice and Home Health joined us to dispel some common myths about hospice care. She also gave us some information to help us better understand this important resource than can help patients and families through an extremely difficult time.

The following information was provided by our guest:

Hospice is not a place or location but a philosophy of compassionate, patient-centered care that is offered to people with a life-limiting illness in their homes, a hospital, a nursing home, or other facility. There are many hospice providers throughout Connecticut.

Masonicare's Connecticut VNA provides outstanding hospice care in the new, dedicated hospice unit in the acute care hospital at Masonicare's Masonic Healthcare Center in Wallingford. Care is provided in private, comfortable rooms.

Hospice care is not just for cancer patients but for anyone with a life-limiting illness such as heart failure, Alzheimer's disease and dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke or coma, HIV/AIDS, and respiratory disease. Hospice patients and families can receive care for six months or longer, depending upon the course of the illness.

Connecticut VNA's hospice program provides a wide range of support and counseling services for patients and their loved ones, including individual and grief counseling, spiritual counseling, resource planning and assistance with end-of-life issues. There is also a full range of complementary services available for patients such as therapeutic massage, expressive arts, music therapy and pet visits.

Ten Myths about Hospice and Palliative Care

Myth 1: Hospice is where you can go when there is nothing more a doctor can do.
Reality: Hospice is a philosophy of care providing medical, emotional, and spiritual care, which focuses on comfort and quality of life.

Myth 2: Good care at the end of life is very expensive.
Reality: Medicare beneficiaries pay little or nothing for hospice, and most insurance plans, HMOs and managed care plans include hospice coverage.

Myth 3: Hospice is on for the last few days of life.
Reality: Hospice patients and families can receive care for six months or longer, depending upon the course of illness.

Myth 4: Choosing hospice means giving up all medical treatment.
Reality: Hospice places the patient and family at the center of the care-planning process and provides high-quality pain management and symptom control.

Myth 5: Everyone dies in a hospital.
Reality: Hospice goes to the patient and family at home - whether that's a private home, a nursing facility, a nursing home or assisted living facility, or a hospice residence.

Myth 6: Hospice is only for cancer or AIDS patients.
Reality: Fifty percent of hospice patients are diagnosed with conditions other than cancer or AIDS.

Myth 7: Families are not able to care for people with terminal illness.
Reality: Hospice involves families, and offers them professional support and training in caring for their loved ones.

Myth 8: Hospice is just for the elderly.
Reality: Hospice serves anyone facing a life-limiting illness, regardless of age.

Myth 9: There's no hospice in my area.
Reality: Hospice is available throughout the state of Connecticut.

Myth 10: Hospice only focuses on the dying process.
Reality: Hospice offers grief and bereavement services to family members and the community.

The best time to learn about hospice is before someone in your family is facing a health care crisis. For more information, call 1-800-482-8862 or visit www.masonicare.org.