When people hear the word hospice, many think of it as the end of the road – a place where nothing more can be done. But hospice care is much more than that. It’s a compassionate approach to end-of-life care that focuses on comfort, dignity and support for both patients and their loved ones.
To clear up any confusion about hospice care, Tina Gibbs, FirstHealth Director of Hospice and Palliative Care, and Dr. Timothy Beittel, Hospice Medical Director, joined the FirstHealth and Wellness Podcast to address the most common hospice myths.
Myth 1: Hospice and Palliative Care are the Same
Fact: Hospice Care and Palliative Care are related but different. Palliative care is specialized medical support for people at any stage of a serious illness, even while receiving treatment. Hospice care is a form of palliative care specifically for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less.
Myth 2: Hospice Care Means 'There's Nothing More a Doctor Can Do
Fact: Hospice doesn’t mean no more care. It means a different kind of care. FirstHealth’s Hospice care teams focus on managing pain and symptoms, reducing stress for patients and families and creating meaningful moments.
Myth 3: You Must Be Actively Dying to Qualify for Hospice
Fact: Early enrollment improves quality of life for many. While Hospice requires a six-month prognosis, families are encouraged not to wait until the very end. Entering hospice earlier gives patients more time with expert support, relief from pain and greater comfort and peace of mind.
Myth 4: Choosing Hospice Means 'Giving Up Hope'
Fact: Hospice care isn’t giving up and instead is about choosing comfort. Many patients stop treatments that make life harder but not better. Hospice allows them to spend more time with family, focus on comfort and not side effects and maintain dignity in their final months.
Myth 5: Hospice Care Requires Leaving Home
Fact: Most Hospice care happens in the patient’s home, but services are also available in assisted living communities, nursing facilities and even in FirstHealth’s 11-bed Hospice house near the Moore Regional Hospital campus. Our goal is to keep patients where they feel safest and most comfortable.
Myth 6: Hospice Takes Over and Replaces Family Care
Fact: Hospice supports families but certainly does not replace them. Hospice nurses can visit weekly or more often if needed, and our care teams also include aides, chaplains, social workers and volunteers who can provide additional support. Families remain the primary caregivers, supported with training, supplies and guidance.
Myth 7: Hospice Care is Too Expensive
Fact: Hospice is covered by insurance. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance fully cover hospice services. No patient is turned away for the inability to pay.
Myth 8: Hospice Is Only for Cancer Patients or the Elderly
Fact: Hospice supports patients of all ages and diagnoses. Today’s hospice patients often include those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart and lung disease, and neurological conditions, and it can even support younger adults and, in rare cases, children.
Myth 9: Hospice Support Ends After the Patient Dies
Fact: At FirstHealth, families receive bereavement support for over a year after the loss of a loved one. Services include individual and group grief counseling, programs for adults, teens and children and special remembrance events and resources. This ensures loved ones continue receiving support well beyond the patient’s passing.
Myth 10: Hospice Speeds Up Death
Fact: Hospice often helps patients live longer by reducing stress, easing pain and eliminating burdensome treatments.
The Truth About Hospice Care
Hospice care isn’t about hastening death. It’s about living fully, comfortably and with dignity during life’s final stage. Families receive emotional, spiritual and medical support, while patients experience peace and comfort.
