If you have not had any firsthand experience with hospice care, you may erroneously believe that hospice is only for cancer patients. While much of the clientele at Suncrest Home Health and Hospice of Chicago is comprised of cancer patients, not all our patients have cancer. So the short answer is no, hospice is not only for cancer patients. Who is hospice for?
The Typical Hospice Patient
Hospice provides care to patients who are nearing the end of their lives. The reasons people die are many. And not everyone can always tell when death is near. Sometimes, however, it is easier than at other times.
To enter hospice care, a patient must have been diagnosed by their doctor as having six months or less to live. They also must have made the decision to reject life-saving treatments such as dialysis or radiation. Oftentimes treatments designed to extend life also make life difficult and uncomfortable. After a period of time, patients may choose to discontinue these therapies and enter hospice. The purpose of hospice is to allow patients to die of their own accord, with peace and dignity.
Besides cancer, patients in hospice may suffer from:
- Kidney disease and malfunction
- Heart disease such as congestive heart failure
- Lung diseases such as emphysema, COPD and cystic fibrosis
- AIDS
- Neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s
This is by no means an exhaustive list of diseases people suffer from in hospice. There are innumerable conditions and diseases that are terminal, and Suncrest Home Health and Hospice of Chicago accepts all qualifying patients with these conditions.
Hospice & Cancer Diagnoses
While cancer is a universally feared diagnosis, not all types of cancer are considered terminal. For instance, although cancers of the skin, testes and prostate are common, they are not always particularly deadly. Patients may live many years with these types of cancers.
Liver, pancreas and lung cancers are some of the deadliest forms of cancer. Even patients with these cancers, however, may live for years with them before succumbing. It often depends on how early the cancer is discovered, what stage it is in and how treatable it is.
Many people think of hospice patients as elderly. This is often correct — but not always. Some cancers, such as leukemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer and brain tumors are not uncommon in young people. While some of these types of cancers can be rendered less deadly by receiving regular medical checkups and tests, it’s not the case with all of them.
For that reason, some hospice patients are young. Some are even children, although this is rare. The bottom line is that hospice patients can be any age and be suffering from any type of illness.
Suncrest Home Health and Hospice of Chicago
To learn more about hospice care in Chicago, contact the team at Suncrest Home Health and Hospice. We’ll talk to you about care for your loved one.
