Hospice Video, Essay Example

In this vignette, the patient struggled with the concept of hospice because she was terrified of what hospice signified for her life. For example, 1) she was fearful of her own mortality and how her quality of life was affecting her family. Nonetheless, she was unable to grasp how hospice could improve her situation rather than cause additional harm.  Furthermore, 2) she did not realize the burden that this was creating for her husband, who struggled with maintaining the household and taking care of the children. When he confronted her that he could no longer cope and that something needed to be done. Her husband chose the phrase “personal care people” because the term “hospice” was uninviting and cold. With this phrasing, the patient was able to improve her overall health through home health and receive other resources that allow her to contribute and remain in the home environment.

Hospice offers its patients spiritual support when needed through local church personnel and also directly through the hospice environment. The organization offers chaplain services to patients, and they receive a variety of opportunities to engage with these individuals to improve their emotional state, spirituality, quality of life, and overall support during a difficult period. This is somewhat surprising because hospice is not generally believed to have a religious influence, yet it provides a level of spiritual services that is important to many individuals. Patients have a voice and chaplains provide a listening ear in order to address end-of-life care concerns that impact them. Two examples include 1) the patient with the Catholic priest who utilizes his support is one opportunity that supports the hospice cause, and 2) the Jewish man who is not religious yet utilizes these services to discuss his case and improve his perspective.

The video, after viewing, will encourage patients to consider hospice as a means of improving their quality of life and to ease some of the financial and emotional burden of terminal illness on family members. The video will enable families to think about their current situations and to consider how hospice might provide benefits to them that they did not realize that they had, such as 1)spiritual guidance and 2) clinical support and treatment. It is important for patients to recognize that hospice will provide support and although it does not cure illness, it provides a balance to patients who are struggling with a diagnosis of a terminal illness and any treatments that are available. Most importantly, patients and their families should consider hospice as early as possible post-diagnosis in order to gain greater options in managing a terminal illness and in improving quality of life at this stage.