Archbold Medical Center| Archives Magazine | Spring 2019

24 ARCHBOLD MEDICAL CENTER HOSPICE Have the conversation When should you start the hospice conversation? Consider talking to patients and loved ones about hospice when: •  A loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness •  Repeated trips to the emergency room or hospitalizations are occurring •  A loved one’s condition has steadily or significantly declined •  A caregiver is discouraged, exhausted and could use sup- port services •  A patient has requested no fur- ther curative treatment •  A physician suggests hospice care during a routine visit MOST PEOPLE don’t like to think about having a conversation with their loved one about hospice. But just one conversation can really help save a loved one from suffering and provide much- needed support services and relief for caregivers too. What does hospice do? Hospice provides essential medical care, including management of pain and symptoms, for the patient in the comfort of their home. Hospice care is covered by Medicare for up to six months in many cases, and it is appropriate for patients with end-stage terminal illnesses. And though hospice provides the essential medical care patients need, hospice also helps families in many ways. Hospice helps families understand, prepare for and support each other through a final illness and throughout the grieving process, as well. “When a loved one has been diag- nosed with a terminal illness, the focus For more information about the services Hospice of Southwest Georgia provides, call 229.584.5500 . changes to quality of life. We help families to shift their focus to enjoying valu- able time together,” said Sheri Walters, administrator of Archbold Health Services’ Hospice of Southwest Georgia. “That’s how hospice can help. We provide the essential medical care for our patients, but we also provide another source of help and support services for family members, too, so they can focus their efforts on enjoying their loved one.” According to Walters, hospice really is for everyone. And the earlier hospice is engaged, the more support they are able to provide each family. “Families should really think about hos- pice, and have the hospice conversation, long before they are faced with a medical crisis,” said Walters. “We offer so much assistance for families that can be bene- ficial. Our trained volunteers will sit with a patient so an exhausted caregiver can get some much-needed relief, and we will even run errands for families, among other things. Our staff and volunteers really have a heart for helping people, and the sooner we can be involved, the more help we can provide.” How to obtain hospice services Walters said a physician may recommend hospice, but families can also self-refer for hospice services. “If a family feels they could use our assistance, they should certainly call us,” said Walters. “It’s most common for physicians to refer a patient when they feel they could benefit from hospice services. But it’s important for families to know they can also self-refer for hospice services. “It’s important for families to know that talking about hospice care does not mean giving up hope,” said Walters.