What Is Time?

Article submitted by Altus Hospice Care

1 week, 7 days, 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds . . . to terminally ill patients it could mean a lot. Recent studies show that patients who elected hospice lived an average of 29 days longer than non-hospice patients.

Hospice care is not “giving up.”

It is a choice to defer curative treatment and move to a symptom management regiment – patients can choose to live life fully and comfortably in their chosen environment surrounded by family and friends. In fact, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reported that hospice does not hasten death but may actually allow extra time. This extra time may be particularly important to patients and their families, as it can allow time for patients and their loved ones to seek closure and resolution. Not all patients live longer, but many do, especially those with lung cancer and congestive heart failure, two of the most common causes of death in the U.S.

Additional findings:

• Patients with congestive heart failure who were nearing the end of life and who chose hospice care survived an average of 402 days compared with 321 days for those who did not choose hospice – a difference of 81 days.
• Patients with lung cancer who chose hospice survived an average of 279 days compared with 240 days for similar patients who did not choose hospice, a difference of 39 days.
• For pancreatic cancer, the survival advantage with hospice was 21 days.

At Altus Hospice we often see patients improve after admission and they begin to enjoy life just a little more. Call us today: 888.873.1822 or visit us at  altushospicecare.com.  Altus Hospice professionals are available for patient and family consultations at any time. There is absolutely no obligation or charge to the patient. Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance carriers.