It has been said that hospice care nurses are called, not hired. And that's how Tara Smith looks at what she does for the patients she serves – a calling.

"This is such a fulfilling and rewarding job," said Smith, director of clinical for Community Hospices of America.

"A lot of people ask me, 'How do you do it?' But it is a reward in that you are helping that family – they decided to keep their loved one at home. And that's where that person who is sick wants to be. You provide that family and that patient emotional support to get them through the dying process. And it's such a joy to be able to give that to them," she said.

Each November, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) celebrates National Home Care Month, National Hospice Month, and Home Care Aide Week to honor health care administrators, nurses, clinicians, therapists, aides, homemakers, chore workers, and companions who make a remarkable difference in the lives of patients and their families.

"I have been using hospice services since 1998 and have seen the kindness and love hospice staff gives to their patients," said Cathy Fisher of Fisher Care, LLC, a personal care home.

"Hospice provides wonderful services, such as certified nursing assistants, RN's, chaplains, social workers and volunteers. This helps provide interaction with patients, as well as helps financially, socially and spiritually, Fisher said. "We at Fisher Care appreciate hospice and what they mean to our families and staff."



History



According to The Hospice Foundation of America, the word "hospice" stems from the Latin word "hospitium" meaning guesthouse. It was originally used to describe a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages.

During the 1960s, Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London. St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional caregiving, and was the first program to use modern pain management techniques to compassionately care for the dying. The first hospice in the United States was established in New Haven, Conn. in 1974.

Today there are more than 4,700 hospice programs in the United States. Hospice programs cared for 965,000 people enrolled in Medicare in 2006, and nearly 1.4 million people in the United States in 2007. In the Meridian area, the number of facilities has increased in recent years. The area is currently served by Community Hospices of America, Guardian Angel Hospice Inc., Harper's Hospice Care Inc., Hometown Hospice, Hospice Care Group, Infinity Hospice, LLC, Queen City Nursing Center and Sta-Home Health & Hospice.

Hospice is not a place but a concept of care. Eighty percent of hospice care is provided in the patient's home, family member's home and in nursing homes. Inpatient hospice facilities are sometimes available to assist with caregiving.



Giving and receiving



Smith said while it is her job to provide care for the terminally ill and support to their families, she also benefits from the process.

"It's rewarding being able to serve someone who is ill, to make their final days as comfortable as possible and to be there for their family. But it's also so wonderful to know that you are appreciated; it's what makes you go to work every day."

She added that lifetime ties also develop through hospice.

"You can't help but to develop a special relationship with the patient and their families, and it doesn't end once the patient moves on to their next life. We keep in contact with the family," Smith said.

"I had a patient who, when she died, I cried. But I found peace in knowing that I was able to tell her goodbye; I have closure."





What is Hospice?



• Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments.

• Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management.

• The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient's last days by offering comfort and dignity.

• Hospice care is provided by a team-oriented group of specially trained professionals, volunteers and family members.

• Hospice addresses all symptoms of a disease, with a special emphasis on controlling a patient's pain and discomfort.

• Hospice deals with the emotional, social and spiritual impact of the disease on the patient and the patient's family and friends.

• Hospice offers a variety of bereavement and counseling services to families before and after a patient's death.



Source: The Hospice Foundation

of America