Hospice is not a death sentence

MATHIAS

Hospice is an approach to caring for patients at the end of their lives.

“But hospice is not a death sentence,” said Steve Mathias, executive director of Lazarus House Hospice. “It’s not etched in cement that you go to hospice and then you die. What a terrible concept that would be. It’s OK to go in and out of hospice.”

Patients enter hospice when their physician determines they have a terminal illness and it looks like they have less than six months to live.

“But people often rally, and sometimes it’s because they have accepted being in hospice. The six months timetable was chosen arbitrarily,” said Mathias. “There was no scientific basis for it. Some are in the program for a year, some for a few days.

“In general, people wait a lot longer than they need to. They’re not ready to accept that they or their family members are dying.”

Lazarus House Hospice, a not-for-profit organization, has provided quality end-of-life care for the terminally ill in 15 counties of the Upper Cumberland area for 16 years. Lazarus House staff includes nurses, social workers, home health aides, a medical director, a chaplain and numerous volunteers all dedicated to bringing compassion and comfort to those who are served.

Working as a team, the staff provides physical, emotional and spiritual support.

“Dealing with patients’ pain and discomfort is a big component of the program,” said Mathias. “Our nurses are experts in pain and symptom management, and not only are they skilled nurses but also trained and certified in hospice and palliative care.”

At the heart of hospice is the idea that death is neither slowed nor hastened. The care is palliative. It is not intended to cure.

“This is not assisted suicide,” he said. “We don’t help people die. We treat symptoms only. We give pain medication in increments. We start out with small doses and increase as needed. Sometimes that will cause patients to rally.

“Some individuals in hospice never acknowledge they’re dying. And that’s absolutely OK. Others are able to have ongoing dialogue with their family.”

“In the same way, the approach to spiritual counseling depends entirely on the individual,” Mathias continued. “We meet the patient and family where they are in their beliefs. We are here to meet their needs in a non-judgmental way.”

To learn more contact Lazarus House – The Hospice of the Upper Cumberland at 800-468-4123 or visit online at LHHospice.org.