I alway's had negative feeling's about someone putting there loved one on Hospice. I felt it was a horrible thing to do and I looked at Hospice as if they were people killers by administering medications like Morphine, Haldol, Lorazepam etc.

I eventually started working in Assisted Living Facility's and eventually started working with individuals with Alzheimers and Dementia and I became a certified caregiver as well as a Med Tech. I also started to work with hospice on a daily basis due to the fact some of the individuals were Hospice Patients. While working with Hospice I realized just how wrong my attitude and outlook towards them was wrong. My whole attitude towards hospice has changed and here's what I realized about them.

First I realized and understood the hospice concept and this is what I got out of it: The Hospice concept is that there a model for quality and compassionate care at the end of life. Hospice care emphasizes pain and symptom management for an individual a long with psychological and spiritual support. Hospice is a team of professionals and volunteers who address the physical,emotional and the spiritual needs of the patient and there family members.

Hospice Employee's that I've dealt with have had so much compassion and understanding for an individual nearing death and there family members and even with the caregivers in the facility. Hospice will answer any questions that someone has for them. They also explain to the family the stages the body goes through when nearing death and they tell you what to expect. I also learned that Morphine, Haldol, Lorazepam, etc. is given not to make death quicker but it's given to make the individual comfortable so there not in pain and so they don't become aggitated during the process. It's called comfort medicine and it really does work.

There's alot more to Hospice than what people actually realize and I wish I never had a negative attitude towards them but I did and I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to work with Hospice employee's, they have taught me alot through the years and I'll still continue to learn..