.jpg)
Jan. 2, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: We were saddened to learn of former President Jimmy Carter passing. Yet even in the final stage of his life, he provided a positive role model when he opted for home hospice care in February 2023.
The term hospice is frequently misunderstood, and many people associate it with giving up and imminent death. Choosing hospice care is the opposite of giving up. Instead of being pushed around by processes and procedures in the healthcare system, hospice supports people in having control in choosing care that is aligned with their values and priorities. Not only do we focus on the relief of the aging or sick person’s distress, we also attend to their emotional and spiritual needs during the final stages of life.
One of the most frequent comments we hear from our families is that they wish they had brought hospice in earlier. We are not only there for the patient, but for the family as well. When families choose a nonprofit hospice such as ours, care is provided by a team of experts with the goal of keeping the patient as pain-free as possible and facilitating doing what they love with their loved ones nearby. Hospice staff can explain what is going on, how to take care of the person, what to expect as the illness progresses.
President Carter’s choice of the hospice level of care provides an example of hospice not being about dying, but about focusing on living the best life possible for as long as possible. Reports were that in the last months of his life, he enjoyed his family, his favorite ice cream, talking about baseball and his church. His family was able to be with him and be supported by healthcare experts focused on quality of life. Hospice care made this possible.
TASHA WALSH CEO, ConnectionsPlus Healthcare + Hospice (formerly Rockbridge Area Hospice)
