Hospice helps families enjoy life

LIHU‘E — Hospice care helps patients and families focus on living. This is the message that Kaua‘i Hospice is sharing with the community during National Hospice/Palliative Care Month, a news release states.

Throughout November, organizations across the nation, including Kaua‘i Hospice, are hosting activities that focus on celebrating this unique system of support and the benefits provided by the loving care of hospice.

Every November hospices across the country reach out to raise awareness of the compassionate care that hospice and palliative care provides patients and families coping with serious and life-limiting illness.

The Seasons of Caring theme reminds people that life’s final seasons can be some of the most fulfilling, especially when patients and families look to hospice care for help.

“With the help of hospice, patients and families alike can focus on what’s most important — enjoying life together and living the final seasons to their fullest,” said Lori Miller, executive director of Kaua‘i Hospice. “It’s about the quality of life.”

The hospice team provides expert medical care to keep patients comfortable and able to enjoy time with loved ones.

They answer questions, offer advice on what to expect, and help families with the duties of being a caregiver. The team also provides emotional and spiritual support for the entire family.

“There’s an inaccurate perception among the American public that hospice means you’ve given up,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

“Those of us who have worked in the field have seen firsthand how hospice and palliative care can improve the quality of life. There’s a growing body of research showing that hospice and palliative care may prolong the lives of some people who receive care.”

For more information, call 245-7277 or visit www.kauaihospice.org.