November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Announced in 1978 by then President Jimmy Carter, November is a time to raise awareness about the importance of hospice and palliative care services, and to honor the caregivers and healthcare professionals who provide them. While HAPCM is a brief window of time meant to spotlight the importance of hospice and palliative care, helping the public understand the benefit of this type of serious-illness care and the importance of advance care planning are goals which our community should strive for year-round.
Some key observances during the month include:
-National Family Caregiver’s Day: November 1
-Palliative and Advanced Care Week: November 4-8
-Hospice Week: November 11-15
-Home Health Week: November 18-22
-Private Duty Home Care Week: November 25-29
Hospice care enables the individual and their families to experience the final stage of life together, in the setting most comfortable for them. In most cases, the person remains at home, close to family and friends while under professional medical supervision, but hospice Research shows that families of hospice patients are more likely than non-hospice patients to report that their loved ones had their end-of-life wishes fulfilled.