Hospice is a non-profit organization that helps people fulfill their final wish: to die in the comfort of their own home pain free, with dignity, knowing someone will be there for their loved ones when they need it. Hospice is a national organization with offices and programs across the country. Patients who have been told by a doctor they have six months or less to live are invited to join. Hospice will not turn anyone down, no matter what their financial situation is. Almost all you need to make your last days as comfortable as possible will be provided free of charge, including all pain medication. Hospice will provide you with weekly visits from a Hospice nurse and, when needed, social workers and counselors are also provided.

Even after you or a loved one dies, Hospice’s care does not. Hospice will keep in touch with your family and offer bereavement. Whenever you need help, Hospice has someone available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Another part of Hospice is the volunteers. No matter what you need a volunteer can be matched up with you, whether you need some wood chopped for the fire, would like to be read to, or your children need help with their homework. Hospice wants things to be as easy and least stressful as possible.

This is just an introduction to the Hospice program. There is much more to the programs, and so many ways Hospice can touch your life. Please continue reading the first Friday of every month, which is when I will write a new piece on how Hospice helps. Come with me as we go through the heartbreaking and joy-making tales of being a Hospice patient, a Hospice nurse, a Hospice volunteer, and a person who found a friend in Hospice during the loss of a loved one. Soon you too will realize it is the heart of healthcare, but do not just take it from me. Look into some of Virginia’s very own Hospice programs for yourself; you will find a few links below.

Be sure you let your family know your final wishes.