Common misconceptions of hospice care
- Hospice is for patients who have given up and are close to death.
Hospice programs are designed for those who do not want any further aggressive, or life prolonging measures. Goals of treatment are to provide comfort care increasing quality of life so that patients can live their life free of suffering.
- Hospice over medicates patients causing excessive sleep, confusion, and addiction to pain medication.
The goal of hospice care is to make the patients comfortable, pain free, and alert so that they live and enjoy life with their families.
- Once a patient elects hospice, they can no longer receive care from their Primary Care Physician.
It is a priority to the hospice team to maintain existing patient/ physician relationships. MPHC works closely with the Primary Care Physicians to build an individualized care plan.