Let’s Talk About What Matters: Understanding Hospice & Palliative Care
Photo courtesy of Samaritan
BY MARY ANN BOCCOLINI, RN | Interim President & Chief Executive Officer, Samaritan
November is National Hospice & Palliative Care Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of hospice and palliative care.
These vital, yet often misunderstood, services have been important to me in my life and work for decades. This month’s column offers the perfect opportunity to recognize the compassionate professionals who care for people facing serious illness, and to help more patients and families better understand these important and life-enhancing specialties of healthcare.
At their core, hospice and palliative care are about something we all value: living as fully and comfortably as possible, with dignity, compassion, and the people we love nearby.
For individuals living with chronic illness, palliative care can provide an added layer of support at any stage of the journey. This care focuses on managing pain and other symptoms, addressing emotional and spiritual concerns, and helping patients and families navigate difficult decisions. Importantly, it can be provided alongside treatments intended to cure or slow the progression of an illness.
Hospice care offers a different kind of support when a patient has made the choice to shift their goals of care from curative treatment to comfort. Rather than giving up hope, hospice helps patients and families discover new ways to find meaning, peace, and connection in the time they have together.
Hospice is not a place, but a personalized approach to care that can be provided in a person’s home, an assisted living or nursing facility, or an inpatient setting when needed.
An interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, certified home health aides, spiritual support counselors, and trained volunteers work together to address each patient’s individual needs. Support extends to family caregivers, with guidance, respite resources, and grief counseling before and after a loved one’s death.
Too often, families wait to explore hospice until they are overwhelmed by the demands of caregiving or repeated exhausting hospital visits. Starting the conversation earlier can help patients understand their options, express their wishes, and make the most of their precious time with loved ones.
Speaking with a physician or hospice provider can be an important first step. Look for a hospice or palliative (chronic illness care) provider who makes listening to patients and honoring their wishes a core part of their mission. Look for a provider that offers a wealth of medical experience while pledging to follow the latest guidelines and rigorous science-based standards for exceptional care.
In my work, I am continually reminded that the true impact of hospice and chronic illness care is found in the people who provide it.
To the physicians who provide life-affirming care, the nurses who bring reassurance in the middle of the night, the social workers who help families face uncertainty, the certified home health aides who offer comfort through everyday acts of kindness, the spiritual support counselors who listen without judgment, and the trained volunteers who give their time and hearts so generously: Thank you.
You show up during some of life’s most vulnerable moments, often when families feel frightened, exhausted, or unsure of what comes next. Your presence reminds them that they are not alone.
This month, I encourage everyone to learn more about hospice and palliative care, ask questions, and share what they learn with others. These conversations may feel difficult, but they can open the door to comfort, understanding, and support when it matters most.
If you would like to learn more, Samaritan’s website offers patient and caregiver resources, answers to frequently asked questions, questions to ask when considering hospice and palliative care, and more. Please visit us at SamaritanNJ.org.
To every caregiver and volunteer who makes this work possible, thank you for bringing compassion to life’s most tender moments. Your care makes a lasting difference, not only for patients and families, but for the entire community.
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