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Misconceptions about hospice care can create hesitation in seeking the support families deserve. Here, we dispel common myths to ensure you have the facts needed to make informed choices for your loved ones.
Myth: Hospice care means giving up.
Truth: Hospice focuses on improving quality of life, not giving up hope. It offers comfort and dignity, empowering people to live meaningfully until the end.
Myth: Hospice care is only for the last days of life.
Truth: Hospice can begin months earlier, allowing people and their families to benefit from emotional, spiritual, medical, and practical support for a longer period. Jimmy Carter has been in hospice for nearly two years!
Myth: Hospice care is only for patients with cancer.
Truth: Hospice supports people with a variety of serious illnesses, including heart disease, lung disease, and neurological conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s Disease and ALS.
Myth: Hospice care can only be provided in a facility.
Truth: Hospice care comes to you. It can be provided wherever your loved one feels most comfortable—at home, a family member’s home, a nursing facility, or assisted living.
Myth: Hospice care is too expensive.
Truth: Hospice care is typically covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance, often with little to no out-of-pocket costs for families. For example, if you’re under 65 and have a deductible remaining on private insurance, you may need to meet that first.
Myth: Families lose control of care decisions in hospice.
Truth: Hospice empowers individuals and their families to stay in control of care decisions. Care plans are personalized to align with their wishes and goals, giving families a level of involvement and collaboration not often found in traditional medical care. Every step of the process is guided by your choices, ensuring care reflects what matters most to you.
Myth: The doctor said I had to sign a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order for my wife in order for her to get hospice. I just could not do that; it seemed so final.
Truth: A person can receive hospice care without signing a DNR. Hospices cannot discriminate against patients because of any advance directive choices.
Myth: Hospice care takes away medications.
Truth: Hospice ensures access to medications that provide comfort and help improve quality of life. Medications are carefully managed to ease symptoms and address pain, focusing on what best supports the patient’s goals and needs.
Myth: My doctor told me which hospice I have to use.
Truth: The choice of hospice provider is always yours. While doctors may make recommendations, patients and families have the right to select the hospice that best meets their needs and preferences.
Hospice care offers more than many realize—it’s about creating meaningful experiences, providing relief, and supporting families every step of the way. Reach out to Minnesota Hospice – our nurse line is answered 24/7 to explore if hospice is right for your family.
Have questions? Contact us anytime to learn more about how hospice can support you and your loved ones.
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