Definition: Given a passage and a query based on the passage, generate an unambiguous, concise and simple answer to the query from information in the passage. Note that the answer may not be present in exact form.
Input: Patients and their family members often want to know how long a person who has cancer will continue to live. It's normal to want to be prepared for the future. But predicting how long someone will continue to live is a hard question to answer. And, if they develop uncontrolled symptoms in the last week, they can still receive Palliative Sedation. Is VSED ethical? Is it suicide? It is not suicide. If the goal is to alleviate or prevent suffering, it is considered ethically acceptable for someone who is capable of making an informed decision. VSED must be distinguished from the naturally occurring loss of appetite and interest in food or water that occurs at the end of life. Last Updated: Thursday 14 July 2016 09:58. What is VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating & Drinking)? This refers to the decision by a patient to stop eating food and drinking liquids when they have a terminal or life-limiting disease, so that their death can be hastened (and therefore their dying will not be prolonged). Withdrawal from friends and family: 1 People often focus inward during the last weeks of life. 2 They may lose interest in things they used to enjoy, such as favorite TV shows, friends, or pets. 3 Caregivers can let the patient know they are there for support. Why would someone stop eating and drinking? We know that up to 35% of patients in hospice programs have severe pain in the final week of life and 25% describe having shortness of breath that is "unbearable". With such uncontrolled symptoms, they might say "I'm tired of this and I just want to go to sleep and not wakeup". How long you can get hospice care. 1 You can get hospice care for two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. 2 You have the right to change your hospice provider once during each benefit period. How long you can get hospice care. Hospice care is for people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less (if the illness runs its normal course). If you live longer than 6 months, you can still get hospice care, as long as the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor recertifies that you're terminally ill. 1 You can get hospice care for two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. If your health improves or your illness goes into remission, you may no longer need hospice care. You always have the right to stop hospice care at any time. If you choose to stop hospice care, you'll be asked to sign a form that includes the date your care will end. At the start of each benefit period after the first 90-day period, the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor must recertify that you're terminally ill, so you can continue to get hospice care. If you live longer than 6 months, you can still get hospice care, as long as the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor recertifies that you're terminally ill. You can get hospice care for two 90-day benefit periods, followed by an unlimited number of 60-day benefit periods. Query: how long does hospice care last when someone is not eating
Output:
Hospice care is for people with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. If you live longer than 6 months, you can still get hospice care, as long as the hospice medical director or other hospice doctor recertifies that you're terminally ill.