About Regional Hospice and Palliative Care
FACING DIFFICULT END-OF-LIFE CONVERSATIONS WITH LOVED ONES
November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
Regional Hospice and Palliative Care (RHPC), a two-year-old facility in Connecticut (and an organization that’s been providing hospice care for over 30 years), wants to help local families talk about end-of-life. We’ve all heard that “sooner is better” and that’s true, however, getting the conversation started is daunting whenever you have it. But Regional Hospice’s CEO Cynthia Roy has made it her mission to “take the taboo” out of the topic of dying. To get the conversation started she suggests the following:
-- Reduce the Worry- Understand that the decision to get hospice care for a parent can help take much of the anxiety and guilt out of the equation for the rest of the family.
-- Be Prepared– It’s best to have this conversation quietly and kindly. Lay out the facts and offer solutions. It’s good to practice the conversation alone before talking to your loved one. Best to be prepared.
--Live in the Moment – Let your family member know that when hospice is done right, it enables them to make the best of everyday and truly enjoy the time they have left.
--Care for the Caregiver- Hospice care can help alleviate caretaker exhaustion and enable families to enjoy the time they have together. That’s a good thing.
--The Whole Holistic Package - It’s important to convey that hospice care can address a patient’s emotional and spiritual needs as well as their immediate physical needs.
Laugh a Little - To broach the topic in a novel, engaging and even humorous way, watch the following animated messages created by a legendary creative team for Regional Hospice: https://vimeo.com/221758071/060f9667ec