Dear Editor:
Hospice care can greatly enhance life for patients and families during an incredibly difficult time, but it is, unfortunately, underfunded and underutilized in New York State.
As the leader of a hospice program serving Rockland and Orange Counties for 38 years, I have seen firsthand the undeniable, positive impact hospice can have. Care takes a number of different forms in hospice, but everything we do is united by three overlapping tenets: giving care, bringing comfort, and honoring life.
Giving care is the most straightforward. Every patient who walks through our doors receives a personal assessment and an individualized plan specifically tailored to their needs. This includes traditional physician care, prescription medication, durable medical equipment, counseling, aide services, physical therapy, nutritional consulting, and nurses on call 24/7.
Those who enter hospice do so because they are suffering from a life-limiting illness. That is why all of the medical care that we provide is focused on our second tenet, bringing comfort to our patients and to their families. Patients can receive care in the comfort of their home or at a dedicated facility, fully equipped to meet their needs. To supplement traditional medical services, we also offer massage, pet, and aroma therapies, spiritual and family counseling, and connections to volunteers who provide companionship, run errands, and do chores on behalf of caretakers, allowing patients to comfortably spend more time with the people that matter most to them.