Let’s Talk About What Matters: National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
Image courtesy of Samaritan.
BY PHILLIP W. HEATH, MS | President and CEO, Samaritan
What does it really mean to be cared for, and to have your wishes for that care respected and honored?
I believe the heart of “care” lies in providing comfort and dignity during all of life’s most treasured moments. However, for individuals and families facing a serious or life-limiting illness, the word “care” is highly personalized and can take on different forms.
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month – the perfect time to think about what “care” means to each one of us. I encourage everyone to learn more about these two very important, but often misunderstood, areas of healthcare, as well as the providers who make it their mission to provide these expert and compassionate forms of care.
Understanding the Differences between Hospice and Palliative Care
Hospice and palliative care share a foundation of comfort and connection. Both focus on quality of life, emotional support, and relief from pain or distress.
Palliative care supports you at any stage of a serious illness, helping you or a loved one live well and comfortably. It helps reduce physical discomfort, manage stress, and avoid unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations.
Hospice care is a type of palliative care. It can begin when your physician estimates you have a life expectancy of up to six months based on the progression of your illness. It is also utilized when you no longer want curative treatments guiding your path and shifts the focus entirely to comfort.
This is where providers like Samaritan can be helpful – helping to guide individuals and families along the care continuum by offering vital physical, emotional, and spiritual support throughout their healthcare journey.
Determining Whether Palliative or Hospice Care Might be Right for You
One of the most important ways to receive the care that’s right for you is to talk about the care you want. Yet too often, these are the conversations we avoid, when they are exactly the conversations we should be having.
The best way to determine whether palliative or hospice care might be right for you or a loved one is to talk to your care team about your needs and wishes. Let them help you understand your diagnosis and your treatment choices. Let them support you with expert care and compassion as you navigate your unique healthcare journey.
Working together with your care team allows you to prioritize peace, presence, and your wishes. Whether it’s managing pain and symptoms, making space for loved ones, or living your story on your terms, you deserve to live well.
Both palliative and hospice care reflect whole-person care for you and your family. Physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual support counselors, and volunteers collaborate to meet your unique needs. With your team’s support, you and your loved ones decide goals of care, learn your options, and make your choices.
Having the courage to ask for and receive help is a powerful moment. It means you are choosing clarity over fear, comfort over chaos, and meaningful connections over silent struggling.
Seasons of Support With the holidays approaching, I often find similarities between this time of year and the hospice and palliative care Samaritan provides. After all, the holidays invite us to slow down, listen deeply and demonstrate presence, intention, and love – the same cornerstones of hospice and palliative care.
We know this season carries special meaning for those receiving hospice and palliative care. That’s why our hospice and palliative care providers guide individuals and their families to share and define exactly what “care” means – helping individuals find space for joy, reflection, and togetherness, while also arranging favorite meals, facilitating video calls, and sitting in quiet companionship. At the end of the day, those are the moments that truly matter.
Giving Thanks
At Samaritan, we provide care the same way we give thanks – with purpose, attention, compassion and, most importantly, heart.
During this month of special recognition and thanksgiving, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the hospice and palliative care providers, as well as the caregivers, families and individuals, who show up each and every day with endless compassion, strength and love. You are an inspiration – demonstrating through both action and word what life-enhancing “care” truly means and how it can impact lives. To learn more about Samaritan’s Palliative Care and Hospice services, call our care team today at (856) 596-1600
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