Benefits of Hospice
The hospice model of care shifts the focus of treatment from curative to palliative. The focus of treatment shifts after the patient has exhausted aggressive treatment options. Palliative care, or comfort care, focuses on alleviating symptoms to improve quality-of-life and the right to dignity. The hospice model of care uses a holistic approach to address the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual symptoms of the disease process. At River Region Hospice, we believe aggressive symptom control allows patients to be happier, more focused, and more productive. It allows the patient quality time offering an opportunity to enrich loving relationships, reconnect with distant loved ones, or even go to the casino.
Electing hospice does not limit treatment options or hasten death. Actually, patients electing hospice usually live longer than patients with similar conditions that did not elect hospice. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization sponsored a study comparing hospice and non-hospice patient survival. The study showed that patients receiving hospice care lived an average of 29 days longer than those that did not elect hospice treatment (Conner, Pyenson, Fitch, Spence & Iwasaki, 2007).
River Region Hospice employs an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, dietitians, nursing assistants, and volunteers with special training in providing comfort and supportive care. River Region Hospice relies on the belief that each person has the right to a pain-free and dignified disease process. This is achieved by prevention and relief of symptoms, frequent thorough assessments, and proactive treatment plans that are individualized for each patient and family.
Who is a hospice patient?
Hospice care is appropriate for any end-stage disease process in which there are no other aggressive treatment options available to stop the disease from advancing or when a patient decides not to continue aggressive or curative treatment. Hospice offers the option to stay in their home environment, pain-free, and as functional as possible. River Region Hospice holds an interdisciplinary team conference bimonthly to discuss each patient. The patient and family are welcome to attend this meeting.
Qualifying Diagnoses (End-Stage) for Hospice Treatment:
- Cancer
- Pulmonary Disease
- Cardiac Disease
- Neurological Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
- HIV/AIDS
- Liver Disease
- Renal Disease
- Stroke
- Coma
- General criteria such as frequent hospitalizations, progressive unintended weight loss, infections, skin breakdown, and ability to perform self-care, decreasing level of consciousness, and patient’s not able to or refusing to eat or swallow.
For specific disease criteria follow the link www.lmhpco.org/professionals/criteria.shtml
Connor, S.R., Pyenson, B., Fitch, K., Spence, C., & Iwasaki, K. (2007). Comparing hospice and nonhospice patient survival among patients who die within a three-year window. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 33 (3), 238-247.
Make a Referral
Do you know someone who would benefit from River Region Hospice? Click here to make a referral.
River Region Hospice House
Choose treatment at your house or our free-standing home-like Hospice House.
Contact Us
507 Upstream Street
River Ridge, LA 70123
Referral Line: 504-739-1205
Fax: 504-739-3993
Email Us
Links & Resources
See a complete list of helpful hospice resources
Website content written by
Michael C. Clark, MSW, LCSW