HCS/451
Hospice Care
The only two things that are guaranteed in life are birth and death. It seems that every time I tell my husband that his drinking habits are going to be the death of him one day. He always responds by saying “We’ve all got to day someday in one way or another, so why not enjoy life while you have it”. But in some cases the choices that we make will often determine whether we live to see the age of 90 verses just the age of 40 or 50. Nevertheless, whether it is death by a life full of bad choice, by accident, or by the luxury of old age. My husband is absolutely correct in saying we all have to die one day and because of that fact hospice care is available. This will be an in depth description of the hospice organization as a whole. As well as the demographics of whom they serve and the types of resources and services the organization has to offer its clientele. This executive summary will also including a summary of the risk management and quality management operatives that are associated with hospice organizations as a whole.
Hospice Description
The hospice program was pioneered in England back in the early 1970’s. It was a program established to assist patients and their families with end-of-life care. A hospice care team is comprised of nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, registered nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, and many other health professionals. All of whom are under the direct management and guidance of a physician. The first hospice program to surface in the United States was in Connecticut back in 1973. After hospice took root in the United States in the 70’s, around the early 80’s hospice became an added benefit to the United States Medicare program. Because cancer was so prevalent in the 70’s and 80’s, “hospice care was initially designed for people who were dying of cancer, and who had a functional family support system and a home where they
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