Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment are the normative methods of care for most of the patients who enter a life-threatening disease. Hospital staff members are trained to be aggressive about curative care. Hospice care is a phase of care whereby aggressive treatment is no longer appropriate.
Palliative care becomes the norm.
Patients have been probed physically, mentally, and emotionally. The purpose of this article is to claim that much more can be done. Our Doctors and Nurses are trained to help patients receive medication that stabilizes and even diminishes pain and suffering physically. Social Workers are trained to help patients and families deal with emotional, practical, and legal issues surrounding loss and grief. Since I am a Spiritual Counselor for Hospice Care, I will take a spiritual approach to grief care.