Hospice

“ You know where stands the hospice, don't you?"
"No," replied Vinzi, "and I don't even know what a hospice is."
"It is a kind house," explained the old man. "Travelers who can go no farther on account of the deep snow and the bitter cold are taken in there. Sometimes travelers who are half frozen lie down. Then the good monks in the hospice take them indoors to the warm fire and strengthen them with food and drink so they can continue on their journey. They are my kind friends, those monks; and when the boys travel off home with the herd in the autumn, I go to live at the hospice. ”

“ Now-a-days, lying about as they do in the dark damp cross-passages of the Hospice, infecting the close atmosphere with unsavoury odours, and leaving their rejected bones about, to be kicked over by the unwary explorer, they give the untoward impression of occupying the interior of the house as a sort of den, from which all but Van Amburghs would gladly be released. ”

“ By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Hospice care helps terminally ill people cope physically and emotionally with illness and helps their families cope with grief. To achieve these goals, hospices offer an intimate approach for both patient and family that encompasses medical care, relief from pain, and encouragement to continue in loving family relationships. Observance of National Hospice Month, 1988, provides Americans with the chance to learn more about hospice care and its purposes. ”

“ This intelligence sounded like a reprieve from death, though the mountaineers well knew that more than an hour of painful and increasing toil was still necessary to reach the hospice. The chilled blood of the tender beings who were fast dropping into the terrible sleep which is the forerunner of death, was quickened in their veins, however, when they heard the shout of delight that spontaneously broke from all their male companions, on learning the glad tidings. ”

“ The hospice founded by Napoleon, and at present occupied by a few Augustine monks, is a fine-looking building without, but desolate and unfinished within. We were saluted as we rode by two of the lonely brothers, who were wandering on the irregular hillocks which surround it, bare of bush or verdure, surmounted by the unchanging snows. In the broad valley below our road, shut in by rocks naked as itself, rises on a mound the square six-storied building, or rather tower, which served for hospice ere this was instituted. ”

“ The hospice movement in America is an organized voluntary effort to enhance health care for dying people and their families. Hospices, expanding rapidly as a vital component of health care, provide a compassionate way for terminally ill patients to approach death naturally in a supportive environment and surrounded by family members. ”

“ Hospices create a compassionate atmosphere where patients will be able to die with dignity, preferably in their home environment, surrounded and supported by loved ones, familiar friends, and committed caregivers. Professional and compassionate hospice staff and volunteers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and clergy, provide comprehensive care and attend to the particular needs and wishes of each patient. ”

“ When we help those who hurt and those in pain, we become part of our Nation's armies of compassion. Hospice programs provide an option for individuals with terminal illnesses to be cared for as they choose in their final days, often in their own homes and surrounded by the love of their families. The doctors, nurses, counselors, volunteers, and others who provide hospice care throughout our country bring comfort to those most in need every day, treating terminally ill patients with the dignity and respect they deserve. ”

“ By helping control pain and minimize other symptoms, these men and women bring relief to those who are terminally ill and show them the utmost respect. Hospice care enables many of our citizens to spend their final days in comfort and dignity surrounded by loved ones. This palliative care plays a vital role in our Nation's health care system, and the dedicated work of hospice caregivers helps ensure that our citizens receive the services and support they need. Hospice caregivers also reach out to families and friends to provide guidance and counseling after the loss of a loved one. ”

“ By offering a positive and supportive environment, as well as high quality medical care, hospice programs enable terminally ill persons to live peacefully and comfortably in their final days. In so doing, these facilities and services not only reaffirm the inherent dignity and worth of every individual but also demonstrate reverence for human life in all its stages. ”

“ While we have made great progress in encouraging hospice care, much work remains to be done to increase awareness of hospice and its benefits. The NHPCO reports that in 2000, 2.4 million people in our Nation died. ”

“ Hospice organizations provide people who are near the end of their lives with family-centered, quality care, that emphasizes compassion, independence, respect, and dignity. During National Hospice Month, our Nation pays tribute to hospice care and the persons and organizations involved with it, by recognizing and honoring its value and importance for people who are dying, for their families and friends, and for our communities. ”

“ A hospice, you must know, is a refuge for travelers on some difficult road.
The hospice of St. Bernard is kept by a company of monks, who live the year round shut in by lofty mountains covered with snow.
In the winter season the good monks lead a very busy life, for then it is that they go forth to seek and [Pg 82] rescue travelers who have lost their way in the terrible mountain snow storms.
Every year many lives are saved through their efforts. ”

“ Naturally we were more interested in asking about their life and mission, which seemed to us a delightful but highly incongruous survival of medievalism. They admitted that the Hospice served no very useful purpose in summer, but it did a big charity work spring and fall when thousands of Italian [118] laborers were tramping into Switzerland and back, who could not afford to stop at the hotel, and during winter, when the hotel was closed, though travelers were few, the Hospice became a life-saving necessity to those who did go over the pass. ”

“ Hospice counselors offer guidance to patients, as well as to those close to them, as they deal with grief, anxiety, and other end-of-life issues. Through these and countless other acts of compassion, our Nation's hospice caregivers lift up souls, offer peace of mind, and strengthen America's culture of life. ”

“ Hospice care plays an important role in American medicine by easing a patient's suffering while reaffirming individual dignity in a familiar, comfortable environment. Across our Nation, hospice care providers are assisting in hospitals, nursing homes, and private residences, offering physical, emotional, and spiritual support to patients who often have a short life expectancy. ”

“ The monks had this dog's skin stuffed and placed in the hospice, and now he seems constantly to teach an object lesson to all travelers who cross the Alps and stop at the hospice.
The story of this faithful dog and his sad death reminds us of that loving Saviour, who came from heaven to this world, to seek and to save those who were lost. And although He came to redeem and rescue us from death, yet wicked men in this world crucified Him by nailing Him to a cross upon Calvary, and this is what every person is doing to-day who rejects the Lord Jesus Christ. ”

“ I also had a few people who were beyond help because their vital organs had been so badly damaged that they knew they were dying, and they wanted to die in peace without medical intervention, in a supportive hospice cared for by people who could confront death. ”

“ The importance of hospices as an integral part of our Nation's health care system is increasingly recognized. The growth of hospices was encouraged in November 1983 when the Federal government added hospice care to the benefits available to people under Medicare. ”

“ Father Benjamin told him, "Even though only men born to the mountains and skilled in mountain arts are chosen for service at the Hospice, and even though our spirits may be strong, the bodies of the strongest cannot endure the trials we must face for more than twelve years. ”

“ All of these people see to the varied needs of patients and families. At present, small hospices, staffed largely by volunteers, are supplying much of the care to those in need, often without charge. But hospice care is increasingly a part of health care in America. Medicare has begun certifying hospices; Medicaid programs will provide hospice care; and many private insurance companies already offer hospice benefits. ”

“ This team provides medical services that are designed to improve the comfort of the patient, manage symptoms, provide proper nutrition, and deal with other difficulties such as emotional distress and grief. Hospice care also provides important emotional and spiritual support to families and friends as they cope with their impending loss. ”

“ Are there not many men so situated—men near us now, who walk through life haunted by the dreadful spectres of past misdeeds hastily committed, bitterly repented—a phantom that can blast every joy, and from whose presence death comes as a friendly deliverer?
THE GREAT ST. BERNARD.
We reached the Hospice about an hour after dark, somewhat stiff, and very wet from the rain and snow that commenced falling as we entered the region of clouds. ”

“ Individuals and groups in the private and public sectors are working together to strengthen and expand hospice programs and to promote their services as a positive alternative for terminally ill patients. ”

“ The legislation also makes the program more flexible and responsive to the needs of patients, allows patients to designate a nurse practitioner to coordinate their hospice care, and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to explore ways to make hospice care more widely available to beneficiaries who live in rural areas. ”