Hospice Care Costs on Dementia

Hospice Care: A Satisfying Career

Regarding hospice care, people ask a certain question: How satisfying is this career personally and professionally? Only few research has been made to quantify stress amounting to hospice care. But according to a survey report from the AAHPM of 2010, 96% of respondents said they prefer hospice care than any other health care profession. Comments from these participants highlight the personal and professional rewards associated with working with patients during their life-ending journey.

Another admirable benefit of working as a hospice care provider is the creation of partnerships. When care providers are fulfilled, they motivate the patients to thrive. And when patients thrive, it furthers the care provider’s sense of satisfaction. Success is contagious and breeds more success. This creates a spiral of positivity.

Moreover, this field is still young and attracting more people to join in the course. This is because of the extraordinary personal and professional rewards brought to existing providers. Hospice care practitioners know the healing benefits a treatment can bring to patients who suffer from painful illnesses, prolong stress, or even nearing death.

Hospice care patients, come in all ages and different walks of life, come into the program are usually only have 6 months to live. So, providing love, concern, and support to patients and their families in this vulnerable time can bring much satisfaction. Although it is emotionally challenging, it can be very fulfilling.

Caring for dying patients have had negative implications due to limited research. However, many practitioner’ testimonials say that their work is very satisfying. Though they have to deal with the pain of seeing someone die, this experience gave opportunities to do reflection and form meaningful realizations based that had an impact in their life.

Although hospice care has its own challenges, this career brings joy to both patients and the hospice care provider.

The RAND Corporation conducted a new study that set off a few red flames about the increasing cost of dementia within the U.S. healthcare system. According to RAND, dementia is one of the nation’s most expensive health conditions, charging the U.S. between $157 billion dollars and $215 billion dollars a year in health care and other expenses.

Compared to other common costly illnesses, the immediate healthcare expenses of treating dementia, approximated at $109 billion dollars in 2010, are in line with cardiovascular disease ($102 billion) and considerably greater than cancer ($72 billion). Beyond immediate healthcare expenses, it is approximated that an additional $48 to $106 billion dollars is spent on the unofficial care for dementia, which primarily includes lost wages and care provided by close relatives at home. The estimated growth is also eye opening, both the expenses and the number of individuals with dementia will more than double within 30 years, a rate that overrules many other serious illnesses. These incredible researches clearly strengthen the need for the U.S. to find better solutions for those suffering from dementia.

Medical health insurance rules require a doctor to approve that an individual coming into a hospital is likely to die within six months or less. Physicians are much more likely to do so when the disease is cancer or heart failure. As a result, too many sufferers are declined access to hospice care, which provides modern care (i.e. comfort care) for the dying and support for their family members. Without hospice care, those being affected by dementia may be exposed to several hospitalizations, obtrusive treatments and poor pain /symptom management.

Today, dementia sufferers are blatantly under served as less than 10% of people dying of dementia receive hospice care and often times are registered too late, within a few weeks of death. Relatively, more than 40% of People in America who die each year are in hospice care. The decision to put a loved one into hospice is without doubt one of life’s most difficult choices. But, better prognoses and education about the benefits of hospice may reduce struggling and needless medical costs.