When should life support be discontinued, honoring a patient’s right to refuse medical intervention? That’s the million-dollar question. Unfortunately, determining when to educate the patient or caregiver on when to say enough is enough and subsequently exercise this right remains an agonizing part of being a healthcare professional.
When hearing that someone is receiving palliative care, the first question people often ask themselves is “does palliative care mean a person is dying?”
For many years people have spoken about hospice care and palliative care as though the two terms are synonymous. However, palliative care is different than hospice. All hospice care is palliative care, but all palliative care is not hospice.
In the initial moments after a loved one has passed away, it’s important to know that nothing needs to be done immediately. Some individuals choose to stay with their loved one for a period of time, others will move to another room. Do what feels right for you.
Whatever feels right for you–Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care is here to support that decision.
Rodger Butts has been a lifelong Harley enthusiast and has owned three of them. For his Gift of a Day, he wanted to take a tour of the 358,000-square-foot Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations in Kansas City, MO to see how these beautiful machines were built.
According to a Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care study, more than 80% of patients with a chronic disease say they want to avoid hospitalization and intensive care when they are dying. Despite this, only 25% of Americans die at home.