If you or a loved one is terminally ill, you may be in need of hospice care. Hospice care provides end of life care for the physical, emotional, spiritual, and total needs of a terminally ill patient. The hospice philosophy has a long history, and it has evolved and emerged as a common practice around the globe. Local hospice in Utah continues to grow as well, providing options and answering questions for those patients nearing death.
Â
What is hospice?
Â
When patients are diagnosed with a terminal illness, they may receive hospice care. This philosophy of care is centered around the relief of the patients' symptoms. Hospice and palliative care both focus on relief or palliation of symptoms, but hospice care refers specifically to care of patients with terminal illness. Palliative care may attend to the symptoms of non-terminally ill patients. The hospice motto is care, not cure. Another philosophy of hospice care is that the entire family should be cared for, not just the terminally ill patients. Hospice care workers include nurses, home health aides, social workers, doctors, spiritual guides, volunteers, and music thanatologists.
Â
Foundation: the past of hospice care
Â
Origins of hospice care can be traced back to the 11th century. In the early history of hospice care, a hospice was a place of warmth and refuge for any afflicted individual, usually ill or injured in some way. This idea of care began to gain momentum in the 1600s, but it wasn't until the 1950s that the foundation of modern hospice philosophy emerged. France, the United Kingdom, and Australia all have a history rich with hospice philosophy. There, the foundation of hospice was engineered by an organization of goodwill: usually knights, a church, or other hospitable organization.
Â
Modern hospice care around the world
Â
Modern hospice care provides compassionate care for terminally ill patients that is two-fold: addressing emotional needs related to the fears and concerns of a terminally ill individual, and physical symptoms' palliative care. This philosophy of providing care for total pain instead of just physical pain has been met with many questions. In history, the medical profession has treated the terminally ill with indifference. Hospice care and hospice philosophy questions that attitude and is spreading all around the world.
Â
Modern hospice care in the United States of America
Â
Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance plans now cover hospice care. This provides prescriptions, equipment, care of patients, and support for family members and friends following an ill patient's passing. Palliative care based in hospitals started in the late 1980s and quickly grew so that palliative care and hospice care are now used by over 30% of dying Americans.
Â
Hospice Utah
Â
There are many private hospice care companies providing palliative care for end-of-life patients. These Utah based groups use an organization of volunteers, paid employees, and donated financial support. Many of these groups are members of the Utah Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. This organization provides bylaws and and code of ethics for those providing palliative care to the terminally ill in Utah.
Â
If you or a loved one are terminally ill, consider hospice care.
Author Resource:
Origins of hospice care can be traced back to the 11th century. In the early history of hospice care, a hospice was a place of warmth and refuge for any afflicted individual,.... Learn more at utah hospice and hospice utah
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")