Hospice Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Hospice Care - Essay Example The concept spread widely in the United States and it was something outside the conventional healthcare system. The hospices at that time were funded through charities and there was volunteer staff that provided personalized care to the patients. Hospice was not known for being a place for care but rather a concept of care. As it established, the hospice leaders came together to formulate standards and guidelines for developing hospice care (Cartwright, Miller, & Volpin, 2009). In 1978, the National Hospice Organization (NHO) was developed and it provided a national forum for education, discussion, and support of hospice quality care standards. Medicare coverage was expanded by the Congress in 1983 to include hospice care. Hospice benefits were also offered by many private insurers as they recognized the compassion for hospice care and its cost effectiveness. The number of hospices and numbers of patients in hospices have increased gradually and in 1991, there were about 1,830 hospices serving about 212,000 patients throughout U.S. Today the hospice concept remains unchanged since its early days. The intention of a hospice is to create a setting where patients get relief from their pain and are able to find support to improve the quality of their remaining life. Hospices make the effort to create a setting in which people can die peacefully. Today the hospices are a part of the mainstream healthcare system of U.S (Groninger, 2012). Choosing a hospice care may have advantages and disadvantages. The major advantage of a hospice care is the availability of a care team which consists of professionals and volunteers. This comprehensive and interdisciplinary team is involved in understanding and taking care of the patient’s needs. The team includes nurses, physicians, social workers, and trained volunteers who fulfill the needs of the patients. Another