November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and hospices in our area, as well as Grunden Law Office, are reaching out to raise awareness about the highest quality care for all people coping with life-limiting illness.

“Every year, nearly 1.6 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice and palliative care providers in this country,” said J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in a recent press release. “These highly-trained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect, and love during life's most difficult journey.”

Hospice is not a place. Hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support, and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible.

Recently, our Client Care Coordinator Christie Browning personally experienced the impact of hospice caregivers as her father-in-law was battling cancer.

"It was hard to watch a family member struggle and fight against a health monster like cancer," said Browning. "However, the hospice nurses that visited and cared for my father-in-law provided more than just medical attention. These caring individuals offered support and encouragement to us as family members, constantly answering questions, coaching us through his last days and offering around-the-clock attention to our needs and his health. It was hard to lose my father-in-law, but it would have been so much more burdensome had we not had the resources of hospice services."

Hospice and palliative care combines the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional and spiritual support that families need most when facing the end of life. Through this specialized quality care, we see many patients and their families experience more meaningful moments together.  Hospice helps them focus on living despite a terminal diagnoses.

"I was constantly in awe of the depth and scope of care our hospice staff provided," Browning said. "It's been a few months since my father-in-law lost his battle with cancer. But the care and support we received during that time is still very real. It takes a very special type of caregiver to be in the hospice field. Those nurses were more like angels, becoming personally invested in our family's need."

Throughout the month of November, Grunden Law Office will be joining organizations across the nation with online efforts to help the community understand how important hospice and palliative care can be.  

Our Elder Law services help you and your family plan ahead to protect your assets and your family as you plan in advance for long-term care and nursing home stays. If you already have a family member who is looking at long-term care needs, we can handle the application for Medicaid eligibility as part of our Medicaid Planning services.

If you or someone you love would like more information about planning for long-term care, contact Grunden Law Office at 260-969-1177 for a complimentary consultation.

Stories showing the many ways hospice makes more special moments possible can be found at www.momentsoflife.org.