Get Informed:
End-of-life Care Issues

What do I need to be informed about to ensure the quality of life I want for my loved ones and me?

Get informed about advance directives. Every person has the right to choose the types of medical treatments he or she would or would not want. Some wish to pursue everything medical technology has to offer, while others choose at some point to forego invasive treatments and artificial life support. Advance directives are needed within our health care system today to help ensure that your end-of-life care wishes are honored.

End-of-life issues are not just concerns for the elderly. Serious illness or accidents can happen to anyone at any time and take away our ability to speak for ourselves. Recent court cases, like that of 41-year-old Terri Schiavo, whose loved ones had very different views of what they thought her end-of-life wishes might have been, bring to the forefront the importance of advance directives for all adults.

Get informed about life-sustaining procedures. An important part of completing your advance directives should be developing a greater understanding about life support options. This will allow you to make more informed decisions about the treatments and procedures you do or do not want and under which circumstances.

Get informed about how to talk about end-of-life care. Your loved ones and physicians may not be comfortable starting the conversation about end-of-life care – they may be waiting for you to express your wishes. Community Hospice offers this web site as an information resource with practical advice on how to talk to loved ones, your doctor and your health care surrogate. We encourage you to start the conversations about end-of-life care before there is a health crisis in your family.

Get informed about pain management. Pain is the body's way of telling us there is a problem. In most cases, the problem can be identified and much can be done to alleviate the pain. Studies have shown, however, that for many Americans, their pain is often under treated.

At Community Hospice, we believe no one should have to suffer from untreated pain. The medical care we provide emphasizes controlling pain and other physical symptoms through the most effective techniques available, while keeping patients as alert and independent as possible. As a patient, together with your caregivers, there is much you can do to help ensure that your pain is effectively managed as your illness progresses.

Get informed about family caregiving. Few of us can truly be prepared to become a primary caregiver for a seriously ill loved one. The physical and emotional challenges can be enormous. However, resources are available and we urge caregivers to reach out for the help they need and deserve.

We believe that no one should have to do this alone. Recognizing that a serious illness impacts the entire family as well as the person who is ill, we provide care to the family unit, with compassionate support for family caregivers. We urge everyone in our community to become more aware of those around us who are caring for someone with a life-limiting illness and find ways to lend a helping hand.

Get informed about grief & bereavement. While each of us experiences grief in our own way, there are some common threads among the human experience of grieving a loss. Knowing more about grief and bereavement can help you adjust to your loss. Taking advantage of grief support in our community can further help you through these difficult times.

Community Hospice licensed mental health professionals offer assistance to family members following the death of a loved one through counseling and support groups for up to 13 months after a loss.

Get informed about financial considerations for end-of-life care. Financial issues are among the greatest concerns many people have about end-of-life care. Paying for doctor visits, hospitalization, equipment, medication, long-term care and more can be very expensive.

At Community Hospice, we work to ensure that families do not experience financial burden due to hospice care. Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover the majority of the costs for our comprehensive, end-of-life care services. And to provide care for those who do not have insurance coverage and are unable to pay, our nonprofit status allows us to accept charitable donations from generous members of our community.

Get informed about Community Hospice care. Even after 25 years of delivering the highest quality end-of-life care available, and earning a positive reputation in the community among families and health care providers alike, the fact remains that less than half of the people in Northeast Florida who could benefit from our services ever receive them. This is because most people are not informed enough to ask about hospice as an option for their care.

It's your Community Hospice. We are committed to improving the quality of life for patients and families and being the compassionate guide for end-of-life care in our community. Join us in our mission to improve the quality of life for everyone in this community and help us spread the word of compassionate end-of-life care.

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More in this section:

• What does it mean to have "quality of life" as we approach the end of life?
• What do I need to be informed about to ensure the quality of life I want for my loved ones and me?

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Call 904.268.5200 for general information or 904.596.6500 for referral and admissions information.
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