What is Hospice Care? What is the “Hospice Gap” and How Do You Fill It?
Oct 17, 2024
What is Hospice Care? What is the “Hospice Gap” and How Do You Fill It?
Hospice care is a beautiful model designed to provide compassionate end-of-life support, focusing on comfort and dignity. However, many people are unaware of a growing issue in hospice care today—the “Hospice Gap.” This gap represents the disparity between what hospice care was intended to be and how it is currently delivered. As end-of-life care evolves, it’s important for all of us to understand how to bridge this gap, ensuring that those we love can experience a peaceful, empowered death. Let’s explore the origins of hospice care, where it falters today, and how we can fill the gaps.
1. What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care was founded in 1967 by Dame Cicely Saunders, a British nurse, who introduced a holistic model of end-of-life care at Saint Christopher’s Hospice in London. The core of this model emphasized physical pain management, emotional support, and giving time to patients and their families. The goal was to create a sacred, comforting space for patients during their final days.
In the United States, hospice care gained traction in the 1970s, and the government created the Medicare Hospice Benefit in 1982. While this allowed for wider access to hospice services, it also marked the shift towards a more fragmented and time-limited approach to care, as for-profit hospices became more common.
2. What is the “Hospice Gap”?
The “Hospice Gap” refers to the challenges that emerged when the original hospice model shifted from a nonprofit, time-intensive approach to a for-profit, time-restricted system. With an average of just 30 minutes a day spent with patients, and the burden of 98% of hands-on care falling on family caregivers, the heart of hospice—time with patients—has been significantly reduced.
Families are often unprepared for the reality of providing end-of-life care, left without adequate training or support. This fragmented system makes it nearly impossible to achieve the peaceful, supported deaths that hospice was designed to provide. Hospice workers themselves are stretched thin, doing their best but often unable to offer the deep care they wish to give.
3. How Do You Fill the “Hospice Gap”?
To address this issue, we need to take a proactive and informed approach to end-of-life care. Here are three key steps to filling the “Hospice Gap”:
- Educate Yourself Before You Need It: End-of-life care is a skill that was once passed down through generations. Today, we can reclaim that knowledge. Seek out end-of-life caregiver training, such as the Doulagivers’ Level 1 End-of-Life Family Caregiver Training, to equip yourself with the tools you need to provide compassionate, hands-on care.
- Ask the Right Questions: When considering hospice care, it’s essential to ask the right questions. Ensure that you fully understand the care options available to you and your family. Knowing what to expect from the hospice provider can help you make informed decisions and ensure the best possible care for your loved one.
- Plan Ahead: Make decisions about your end-of-life care preferences before the time comes. Understanding what you want or don’t want during your final days allows you to take control of the process, easing the burden on your family and ensuring your wishes are respected. Take the first step in putting your wishes in writing and plan ahead by downloading our free Doulagivers 9 Choice Advance Directive here!
While the current hospice system may fall short of its original vision, there are steps we can take to close the “Hospice Gap.” By educating ourselves, asking the right questions, and planning ahead, we can restore the sacredness of both death and life. End-of-life care is a journey that each of us will encounter—by preparing for it, we can help ensure that our loved ones experience peace, dignity, and love during their final days. Remember, you have the power to be a part of positive change in how we approach end-of-life care.
Resources:
The Good Death Book, now available for pre-order
Listen to the full Ask a Death Doula Podcast episode on Youtube, click here.
This 90-minute webinar training is the best way to learn the essential skills to care for someone who is dying based on the Doulagivers 3 Phases of End of Life Model of Care. Join the Movement, Learn the Skill, Change the World!
Do you have the calling to become a Doulagiver Death Doula and serve end of life patients and their families as a professional?
During this hour long webinar, we will help you find out if becoming a Doulagiver Practitioner is right for you!
Discover how you can become a Doulagiver without having a medical background or any prior end of life care experience. We will cover everything you need to know from the extensive training curriculum, how to price your services, and share our 3-step business blueprint to teach you how to reach your community with your new offering and be able to do it all with little to no money. If you have the calling, Suzanne and the Doulagivers Team will teach you EVERYTHING you need to know!
Need help with something else? Send us an email to support@doulagivers.com
