Smart Talk: What to know about hospice and palliative care

What to look for Smart Talk Wednesday, November 20, 2013:

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.

Since many people don’t discuss death and end-of-life issues, they may not be familiar with with either concept.

The National Hospice Foundation says:

• Hospice is a special concept of care designed to provide comfort and support to patients and their families when a life-limiting illness no longer responds to cure-oriented treatments.
• Hospice care neither prolongs life nor hastens death. Hospice staff and volunteers offer a specialized knowledge of medical care, including pain management.
• The goal of hospice care is to improve the quality of a patient’s last days by offering comfort and dignity.

Palliative care is centered on caring for patients and their families, supporting quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering.

Smart Talk addresses hospice and palliative care of Wednesday’s program with Dr. Joan Harrold, Vice President, Medical Services, Hospice & Community Care and Dr. Douglas Arbittier, Medical Director of Perioperative Services and physician champion of WellSpan Health’s End-of-Life Taskforce.

For information on hospice with links to many resources, go to Walking on Sacred Ground.

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