5 Things I’d Change About Hospice

I am a supporter of hospice but there is a gap in our care system. The medical complex is designed to treat/cure and hospice is to support in the last six months of life. The gap exists in the space between and around these two systems.

I’d change hospice to offer more holistic modalities than pharmaceuticals. Yes to medication (especially to relieve pain!) but ALSO YES to other support. If the only tool in the toolkit is pharmaceuticals, that is what is used for every ailment from constipation to anxiety. If Medicare covered more tools, would we see massage therapy, Reiki healing, aromatherapy, guided meditation , breathwork, and other modalities be used to support clients?

I am not a fan of the sterile efficiency that nurses use to clean up the body before the funeral home is called and I find the sight of the body bag on the stretcher as it is wheeled out of the house/facility to be disturbing. If we brought the sacred tenderness of home funeral guides into end of life care, would we find our grief eased at least a bit? Could we honor the body in a way that inspires us instead of instilling fear of death?

Our medical professionals are overworked and not encouraged to tend their grief. It is my opinion that most medical professionals have to mute their empathy in order to survive the work that they do. If we encouraged grief tending as part of workplace culture, would our staff be able to show up fully?

Dementia patients have no place within the current care system. I wish that dementia could have its own wing within the hospice system where families could access hospice services without risking discharge after six months.

Last, I recently saw a commercial for my local hospice advertising “24/7 care”. This leaves the impression that a patient will be cared for around the clock by hospice but the truth is that actually means 24/7 access to a nurse-staffed hotline, at best. Additionally, residential units are often marketed as an option for those who prefer to not die at home, but those beds are limited.

If you were in charge of how the systems were run, what’s the first thing you’d change?