National Hospice Palliative Care Organization Issues Proclamation to Celebrate and Affirm Hospice

Reaching out to local communities is a daily activity at the more than 5,000 hospice organizations across the country. Every November, this activity is amplified as the nation’s hospice and palliative care community observes National Hospice Palliative Care Month.“To celebrate and affirm all that hospice does for patients and families, NHPCO is issuing this proclamation emphasizing the importance of quality end-of-life care for all Americans, regardless of age, diagnoses or location of care,” said J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO.PROCLAMATIONWHEREAS, hospice and palliative care empower people to live as fully as possible, surrounded and supported by family and loved ones, despite serious and life-limiting illness;WHEREAS, hospice and palliative care bring patients and family caregivers the highest quality care delivered by an interdisciplinary team of skilled professionals that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, health aides, spiritual care providers and others who make the wishes of each patient and family a priority;WHEREAS, through pain management and symptom control, caregiver training and assistance, and emotional and spiritual support, allowing patients to live fully up until the final moments, surrounded and supported by the faces of loved ones, friends, and committed caregivers;WHEREAS, Each year, hospice saves Medicare more than $2 billion by providing solutions for physicians, care to patients and comfort to families anywhere, at any time.WHEREAS, every year an estimated 1.6 million Americans living with life-limiting illness, and their families, received care from the nation’s hospice programs in communities throughout the United States;WHEREAS, more than 400,000 trained volunteers contribute 20 million hours of service to hospice program annually;WHEREAS, hospice and palliative care providers encourage all people to learn more about options of care and to share their wishes with family, loved ones, and their healthcare professionals;NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the board of directors of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization celebrate and affirm the importance of hospice palliative care duringNovember’s National Hospice Palliative Care Month and encourage all people to increase their understanding and awareness of care at the end of life.For more information please visit www.hospiceofsiouxland.org or call Hospice of Siouxland 712.233.4144.