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Probably most or all of us have had a friend or a loved one whom Hospice has been there to help. Hospice care is a type and philosophy of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill or seriously ill patient’s pain and symptoms, and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. The concept of hospice has been evolving since the 11th century. Then, and for centuries thereafter, hospices were places of hospitality for the sick, wounded, or dying, as well as those for travelers and pilgrims. The modern concept of hospice includes palliative care for the incurably ill given in such institutions as hospitals or nursing homes, but also care provided to those who would rather spend their last months and days of life in their own homes. It began to emerge in the 17th century, but many of the foundational principles by which modern hospice services operate were pioneered in the 1950s by Dame Cicely Saunders. Within the United States the term is largely defined by the practices of the Medicare system and other health insurance providers, which make hospice care available, either in an inpatient facility or at the patient’s home, to patients with a terminal prognosis that are medically certified to have less than six months to live. Outside the United States, the term hospice tends to be primarily associated with the particular buildings or institutions that specialize in such care (although so-called “hospice at home” services may also be available).
Hospice in the United States has grown from a volunteer-led movement to improve care for people dying alone, isolated, or in hospitals, to a significant part of the health care system. In 2010, an estimated 1.581 million patients received services from hospice. Hospice is the only Medicare benefit that includes pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, twenty-four hour/seven day a week access to care and support for loved ones following a death. Hospice care is also covered by Medicaid and most private insurance plans. Most hospice care is delivered at home. Hospice care is also available to people in home-like hospice residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, veterans’ facilities, hospitals, and prisons.

Hospice of the Panhandle has started “Building the Dream” – construction of its long-awaited 14-bed inpatient Hospice House and consolidated offices. The project is located off old W.Va. 9, 1.4 miles from the VA Center and across from the Food Lion/IRS. Excavation and road work is anticipated to take approximately four-five months. Following that work, Callas Contractors and W. Harley Miller Construction will begin construction simultaneously on the inpatient unit and office complex. Contractors anticipate that the entire project will take approximately 18 months to complete, with anticipated opening of the unit and offices in early 2014.
Find out more about Hospice of the Panhandle this week at our meeting.

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West Virginia Media