Care of the dying is one of the most important jobs that a physician or nurse can have. Death, like birth, is a momentous and sacred transition, and good care can give peace and comfort to the patient as well as to his or her family and friends. The dying process is often painful and frightening and good, knowledgeable support can alleviate suffering for all involved. Hospice care has evolved since its inception in the 1400s to embrace support of the dying both in designated facilities and in patients' own homes. Once a patient and his or her doctor have come to accept that a disease is terminal and that death is imminent (usually 6 months of expected life left) hospice care can usually be arranged to allow a patients last days or months to be as pain and anxiety free as possible, providing caregivers with the help and support they need. Hospice services usually include home visits by nurses and nurse's aids, medications for symptoms control, social worker visits, grief couns...
The cost of health care in the US is higher than anywhere else in the world, and yet we are not healthier than our peer nations. In fact, in terms of such measures as infant mortality and life span, we don't measure up. Why is this? Many people involved in providing or receiving care have some pretty good ideas about what costs so much, and what we can do to reduce costs and improve quality. Sharing these stories is an important step in creating affordable universal health care.