Pros And Cons Of Hospice

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Death and Dying: The benefits and detriments of hospice Hospice is considered to be the model for quality, compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness or injury, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support ("Hospice Care", 2016). As with any circumstance that deals with the quality of life of a person, there are going to be many pros and cons to this way of life. Hospice can be a very hard time for not only the person going through it but also their friends and family, but if it is handled properly it can also be a very peaceful and loving time for a person who is near the end of their days. I will delineate many of these advantages and disadvantages …show more content…

This makes life much more manageable and easy for the patient as well as their friends and family. There is no denying that death is a burden on everyone involved, having a team of caregivers to ease that burden makes the whole situation a lot more manageable and less stressful. Having this team of caregivers and having the “base of operations” at the patients home also means less medical costs such as; doctor/hospital visits resulting in large bills, medication costs, and travel costs. Medical insurance may only pay for a portion of those fees whereas hospice is usually always covered by Medicare or …show more content…

It can also be a major disadvantage as well. Although hospice is covered by most medical insurances, not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to afford and have medical insurance. There are also some hospice programs that offer free or discounted services to patients with limited financial resources. This unfortunately requires that the patient exhaust all other avenues of financing, such as family members and non-liquid assets. There are even instances in which a nursing home makes more financial sense than hospice care ("The Pros & Cons of Hospice Care", 2011). So for a patient who does not have medical insurance, end of life is more difficult, not only on them but on their families as