“Hospice” is a Beautiful Word!

There’s a common misconception when you mention the word hospice. A lot of people think of it with fear and/or sadness. When my mother worked as a hospice volunteer, she was often asked, "how can you do that? Doesn’t it make you sad to be around all those dying people?" But, she’d be the first to tell you that the time she spent volunteering at Tranquility was the most fulfilling time of her life.

Hospice does not mean giving up on life...it is a medical choice that helps ensure the patient’s comfort and dignity, and improves the quality of their remaining time. But most importantly, hospice is people. Kind, compassionate, caring individuals who, as my mother says, "wrap you up in love."

From Hospice Foundation of America’s website:

"The word "hospice" stems from the Latin word "hospitium" meaning guesthouse. It was originally used to describe a place of shelter for weary and sick travelers returning from religious pilgrimages. During the 1960's, Dr. Cicely Saunders, a British physician began the modern hospice movement by establishing St. Christopher's Hospice near London. St. Christopher's organized a team approach to professional caregiving, and was the first program to use modern pain management techniques to compassionately care for the dying. The first hospice in the United States was established in New Haven, Connecticut in 1974.

Hospice is not a place but a concept of care. Eighty percent of hospice care is provided in the patient's home, family member's home and in nursing homes. Inpatient hospice facilities are sometimes available to assist with caregiving."

So, why am I writing about hospice, and what does that have to do with my "Hope for Cancer" blog? Maybe you’ve already guessed... my mom was admitted into the Wellstar Hospice program last week. Does that mean that I’ve given up "hope" for mom’s recovery from cancer. Absolutely not! My hope is in the Lord and I know that He will certainly heal her... either a miraculous physical healing, or the ultimate healing and reuniting with my Dad. Either way, she wins. But for now, she’s being wonderfully cared for by some of God’s "angels"... her hospice team...and both Mom and I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful team of angels among us!