MYTH: It is Best to Wait Until After the Holidays to Begin Hospice Care

MYTH: It is better to wait until after the holidays to begin hospice care for eligible patients.

FACT: We often hear people say that they wish they had started with hospice care sooner. By choosing to receive hospice before the holidays, the full benefits of hospice can be received by those who are eligible for hospice care.

Many people experience extra stress at holiday time. Feelings of being overwhelmed, depressed, uncertain, sad or anxious are not uncommon and can make getting through the holidays especially difficult. Sometimes, people who are eligible for hospice services compound this holiday stress by putting off care they deserve to receive.

By beginning hospice now instead of waiting, eligible patients and their families receive necessary emotional and physical support during the holiday season. Our hospice care team can focus on pain and physical symptom management and develop a coordinated care plan taking into account the needs of the patient and the patient’s caregivers. In this way, those eligible for hospice can receive the care and comfort they need now.