"Guide To Choosing Hospice Care" - Michele Lent Hirsch
When you or someone you love receives a terminal-illness diagnosis, it’s hard to know what to do next. But hospice can provide support and care during this critical time. A hospice team can involve nurses, physicians, social workers, and even a chaplain if desired, as well as specialists such as speech pathologists. Most often these services are delivered at home, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home, though they can also be given at the hospital, said Diane Meier, MD, director of the center to advance palliative care and professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Waiting until the last minute to elect hospice means a lot of people are missing “that huge advantage that hospice provides in terms of letting people stay comfortable, stay home, and stay in control, so they can do the things they enjoy and be with family and friends,” Dr. Meier said.
- Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, Professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Medicine, Vice Chair, Public Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care