This is often the time when honest communication breaks down in a family. We spend extraordinary energy hiding the truth from each other. The patient is afraid that the family member can t handle the truth, so they don t speak about it. Even health care professionals are sometimes reluctant to admit that they have exhausted all reasonable possibilities. Real hope is knowing about the possibility of a pain-free death surrounded by loved ones in a familiar setting about the opportunity to continue experiencing the joys and surprises of living until the last day of life.
Hospice care offers that possibility.
Even when people accept they have a terminal illness, they may not know about hospice services. They may need assistance in finding a provider, determining their eligibility, and filling out the paperwork. Caregivers should feel free to discuss the hospice option with their physician, medical social worker, or clergy. These professionals might even have suggestions on how to begin this discussion with your loved one. There are also some regulatory problems in that predicting how long someone will live with a particular illness is not an exact science.