| Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, author of the book "On | | | | counseling, if indicated |
| Death and Dying," also considered to be the founder | | | | - Will enhance quality of life, and may also positively |
| of the death with dignity and hospice care movement | | | | influence the course of illness |
| said, "There is no joy without hardship. If not for death, | | | | - Is applicable early in the course of illness, in |
| would we appreciate life? Those who learn to know | | | | conjunction with other therapies that are intended to |
| death, rather than to fear and fight it, become our | | | | prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, |
| teachers about life." The entire philosophy behind | | | | and includes those investigations needed to better |
| end-of-life care, often called hospice or palliative care, | | | | understand and manage distressing clinical |
| is about love, kindness, and dignity-and learning to | | | | complications. |
| appreciate life. Helping to ease the pain and grief that | | | | What Comprise a Hospice Team? |
| comes with death is the role of those rare individuals | | | | A hospice team is made up of physicians, nurses, |
| that are willing to work with the dying. | | | | home care aids, social workers, therapists and |
| Physician assistants are an integral part of a hospice | | | | counselors, and the family of the dying individual. |
| team; if you are currently pursuing a degree in an online | | | | Hospice care is often provided both in the home and in |
| allied health program and are interested in one of the | | | | a hospice center. |
| top paying health care careers, consider working in | | | | Because of our aging population, hospice care is in high |
| hospice care. It is a labor of love, and a field where a | | | | demand, and there is a critical shortage of those |
| physician's assistant can really help patients and their | | | | special people that can work in the hospice field. Home |
| families. | | | | Care Aids are especially in high demand in the hospice |
| What is Palliative (Hospice) Care? | | | | field, and this allied health career offers stability and |
| Palliative Care tackles both the physical and the | | | | substantial personal and financial reward. |
| psychological aspects of the end of life. According to | | | | How Do I Work in Hospice Care? |
| the World Health Organization (WHO), palliative care is | | | | Hospice workers are obviously physicians and nurses, |
| "an approach that improves the quality of life of | | | | but there are many allied health professionals who also |
| patients and their families facing the problem | | | | provide this important care. Home Care Aids are a |
| associated with life-threatening illness, through the | | | | large part of a hospice care team, offering the kind of |
| prevention and relief of suffering by means of early | | | | intimate care that is needed for the very sick. |
| identification and impeccable assessment and | | | | Most community, career, and vocational college offer |
| treatment of pain and other problems, physical, | | | | Home Care Aid certification programs. In order to |
| psychosocial and spiritual." | | | | work in the Medicare system, specific guidelines must |
| The WHO goes on to list the following to describe | | | | be met, and home care aids must pass a specific test. |
| hospice care: | | | | Most programs are between one and two years. |
| - Provides relief from pain and other distressing | | | | A Special Gift: A Peaceful Passing |
| symptoms | | | | Working in hospice care requires a special person. |
| - Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process | | | | Because the focus is on comfort rather than cure, |
| - Intends neither to hasten or postpone death | | | | most patients in hospice care are in their last six |
| - Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of | | | | months of life. Hospice care provides patients with pain |
| patient care | | | | and symptom relief as well as emotional support for |
| - Offers a support system to help patients live as | | | | the patients and their families. |
| actively as possible until death | | | | If you want to give the gift of death with dignity and an |
| - Offers a support system to help the family cope | | | | absence of pain, perhaps working in hospice care if |
| during the patients illness and in their own bereavement | | | | right for you. Helping ease the end for the terminally ill is |
| - Uses a team approach to address the needs of | | | | quite a gift indeed. |
| patients and their families, including bereavement | | | | |