A new administration and health care issues: temporarily sidelined?
Lewin, M.E.
Journal of Medical Practice Management Mpm 16(5): 225-226
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 8755-0229 PMID: 11345873 Document Number: 534671
People living with a life-limiting illness require expert medical care to control often debilitating symptoms. Beyond physical care issues, people at the end of life also need emotional and spiritual support for themselves and their loved ones. Hospices offer a range of services via an interdisciplinary team to meet the specialized needs of people at the end of life. This article will explore the physician-hospice partnership and the benefits to patients, family caregivers, and physicians when hospice care is accessed early in the dying process. Benefits of interdisciplinary, patient/family-directed care will be discussed. The range of palliative services being offered by many hospices will also be presented as a mechanism to increase access to end-of-life services for patients and family caregivers.