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Several studies indicate that most patients and families who are living with life-threatening illness can expect to experience multiple physical symptoms and psychological, social, spiritual, and practical issues, many of which may be concurrent. Most of these problems add to a patient's and family's sense of suffering and reduce their quality of life.
The goal of hospice care isn't just to reduce pain. The World Health Organization defines palliative care as "the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control the pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social, and spiritual problems is paramount. The goal of palliative care is the achievement of the best possible quality of life for the patients and their families."
Beacon's approach to hospice care creates a patient and family environment of hope, comfort, and dignity. We also believe that hospice is about caring for the whole person -- not just physically -- but emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
Helping to reduce healthcare costs.
The trend in the United States over the past fifty years has been to institutionalize terminally ill patients. In 1949, 50 percent of deaths in America occurred in hospitals or nursing homes. Since 1980, it has remained at around 74 percent.
The discord between our desire to die at home and our actual end-of-life experience is not only contradictory, but it's also expensive. A 1995 study by the GBMC Hospice of Baltimore found that those who enrolled in hospice during the last month of life cost Medicare $2,884 less than nonusers.
Hospice generally costs less than care in institutional settings because the patient is charged only for the services that he or she connot be provided with at home. In 1997, daily hospital charges were estimated at $2,121, while skilled nursing facilities charges $454 per day. Hospice care cost approximately $108 per day of care.
Beacon Hospice provides the best end-of-life care in New England through an interdisciplinary team that supports patients and families. The team is made up of physicians, nurses, hospice/home health aides, social workers, chaplains, bereavement experts, and volunteers. We are proud to employ both nurse practicioners as well as board-certified palliative-care physicians.
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