In a couple of weeks, families across the country will gather around the table and give thanks for what they have and contemplate all that they have been afforded. For those who have a terminally ill loved one, those blessings may include hospice care.
Hospice programs in the U.S. provide care to more than 1.8 million people.
This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month We would like to take this time to commend the hospice professionals and volunteers for the vitally important work they do — allowing those with life-limiting illnesses to die with dignity, respect and compassion. Locally, we know that Hospice of the Plains goes above and beyond to give patients and their families all the support needed to ensure the patient's end-of-life journey is filled with living, making memories and vibrancy.
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The term "hospice" can be traced back to medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for weary or ill travelers on a long journey. The name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients by Physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who began her work with the terminally ill in 1948 and eventually created the first modern hospice — St. Christopher's Hospice — in a suburb of London.
Saunders introduced the idea of specialized care for the dying to the U.S. during a 1963 visit with Yale University. Florence Wald, along with two pediatricians and a chaplain, founded the first U.S. hospice, Connecticut Hospice in Bradford, Connecticutt, in 1974.
Before hospice programs began spreading around the country, end-of-life care looked very different. Terminally ill patients often died without specialized support or management of their symptoms.
Today, hospice offers much more advanced care using a team of professionals and volunteers to work closely with family caregivers to treat not only the physical symptoms of the disease, but the emotional and spiritual as well.
If you would like to support the amazing work that hospice does, we encourage you to donate to Hospice of the Plains for Colorado Gives Day, on Dec. 8, or by visiting www.coloradogives.org anytime. You can also attend the annual Hospice of the Plains Hog Roast Benefit that occurs every February.
As we give thanks to hospice, we would also like to offer a reminder that for many this is their first holiday season without their loved one, be it a parent, child, grandparent, sibling, or close friend. If you know someone who is dealing with grief this holiday season, give them extra patience, spend time with them and communicate with them regularly, include them as you would have previously. If they need a little space give them that and don't be hurt if they cancel plans. Take time to remember those who are hurting this holiday season and show them they are loved and not alone.
