Amazing Grace Hospice™ provides services that we all may need someday -- if not for ourselves, for a loved one. While death is not an option for any of us, we do have choices about the services we use at the end of life. Hospice is undoubtedly the best option in the last months of life because it offers a whole variety of benefits, not only to those of us who are dying, but also to those we leave behind.

Hospice is still a mystery to most Americans, 25 years after its introduction to this country.  Hospice remains a mystery partly because of our society’s resistance to discuss matters related to death.  We also have an issue in that the Federal Government doesn’t do a good job in educating the public about the Medicare hospice program instituted in 1983.  It is also fair to say that, as a whole, hospices have not been effective in raising the public awareness about hospice.

If we inform ourselves of the hospice concept, its comprehensive services and its financial aspects, we can more fully participate in the decisions that doctors and policymakers are making on our behalf. If we learn about hospice, we can work to preserve it for the time that we, or someone we love, may need it.

To learn about hospice, it is useful to address the common myths that in themselves create barriers to hospice.

THE COMMON MYTHS OF HOSPICE

Myth #1:   Hospice is a place.
Hospice care takes place wherever the need exists -- usually the patient's home. About 70 percent of hospice care takes place where the patient lives.

Myth # 2:   Hospice is only for people with cancer.
More than one-half of hospice patients nation-wide have diagnoses other than cancer. Amazing Grace Hospice serves families coping with the end-stages of chronic diseases, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease); Alzheimer’s Dementia; Heart, Kidney, Liver, Lung Diseases; Multiple Sclerosis; Parkinson’s Disease and Stroke.

Myth #3:   Hospice is only for old people.
Although many hospice patients are older, Amazing Grace Hospice serves patients of varying ages.  Almost 20% of hospice patients are under 65 years of age.

Myth #4:  Hospice is only for dying people.
As a family-centered concept of care, Amazing Grace Hospice focuses as much on the grieving family as on the dying patient.

Myth #5:  Hospice can only help when family members are available to provide care.
Recognizing that terminally ill people may live alone, or with family members unable to provide care, Amazing Grace Hospice coordinates community resources to make home care possible. Or they help to find an alternative location where the patient can safely receive care.

Myth #6:  Hospice is only for people who can accept death.
While those affected by life-limiting illnesses struggle deal with this journey, Amazing Grace Hospice gently helps them find their way at their own speed. Amazing Grace Hospice welcomes inquiries from families who are unsure about their needs and preferences. The professional staff of Amazing Grace Hospice is readily available to discuss all options and to facilitate family decisions.

Myth #7:  Hospice care is expensive.
Most people who use hospice are over 65 and are entitled to the Medicare Hospice Benefit. This benefit covers virtually all hospice services and requires little, if any, out-of-pocket costs. This means that there are no financial burdens incurred by the family, in sharp contrast to the huge financial expenses at the end of life which may be incurred when hospice is not used.

Myth #8:  Hospice is not covered by managed care.
While managed care organizations (MCOs) are not required to include hospice coverage, Medicare beneficiaries can use their Medicare hospice benefit anytime, anywhere they choose. They are not locked into the end-of-life services offered or not offered by the MCOs. On the other hand, those under 65 are confined to the MCOs services, but most provide at least some coverage for hospice.

Myth #9:  Hospice is for when there is no hope.
When death is in sight, there are two options: submit without hope or live life as fully as ever until the end. The gift of hospice is its capacity to help families see how much can be shared at the end of life through personal and spiritual connections often left behind. It is no wonder that many family members can look back upon their hospice experience with gratitude, and with the knowledge that everything possible was done towards a peaceful death. Amazing Grace Hospice™ is committed to serving each patient and family with integrity and respect.  Our mission is to assist patients in managing life's journey with dignity and compassion.