The conversation usually starts the same way. A doctor pauses, looks at you, and asks if your family has thought about hospice. Sometimes they say “palliative care” first — that’s a slightly different thing. Sometimes they say “comfort care” — a softer phrase for the same idea. Whichever words they use, the meaning is the same: the goal is shifting from treating the disease to caring for the person.
If you’re like most adult children, your reaction lands somewhere between “already?” and “thank you for finally saying it.” Sometimes both at once.
Hospice is one of the most misunderstood and most valuable resources available to families with an aging parent at end-of-life. Most families call it too late. Many never call it at all. The cost of waiting is higher than people realize — for the parent, and for the family caregiver who’s been carrying it alone.
This is a post about what hospice actually is, when to call, who’s on the team, and — most importantly — how to work with the hospice team instead of feeling like you’ve handed your parent off to strangers.
[Read more…] about Family Caregivers and Hospice Teams