AN UNFOUNDED misconception by most people is the following: Hospice care only occurs within the last 72 hours in the life of a person who has a life-limiting disease. NOT TRUE! Awareness to address this falsehood is one of many reasons why November is designated as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month.
Hospice is for any individual, adult or child, with a life-limiting disease or condition facing the many challenges of his or her advanced illness. Hospice patients can be bedridden or very ill, but it is not true for all of our patients at Good Shepherd Hospice. Many are able to enjoy life as much as they did before their diagnosis.
For more than 35 years, Good Shepherd Hospice has been a part of the Polk County community, providing quality hospice care to all those facing the many challenges of their illnesses. We believe that every person — regardless of age, illness, or social status — deserves to be treated with the utmost respect, care, and dignity.
At Good Shepherd Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call 1-800-544-3280 or visit us at chaptershealth.org/hospice.
This column is sponsored by Good Shepherd Hospice.
CREDIT
column by DR. ROBERT WEISSINGER
BIO: Board certified in Family Practice, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Robert Weissinger received his medical degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving as the chief medical officer for Hospice and Palliative Medicine of North Iowa, Dr. Weissinger relocated to Florida to become the medical director at Good Shepherd Hospice.