Hospice program helps make every day count at life's end
Widower Philip Burnham is visited by Bereavement Coordinator Michele Collins, LICSW, through the hospice program.
Ask Americans where they'd prefer to spend their final days, and most will say at home, with comfortable surroundings and loved ones nearby. Only some actually get that wish, however. About three-quarters of elder citizens die in hospitals or nursing homes, according to a recent report on end-of-life care.
To give patients with grave illnesses and their families greater options, Dana-Farber acquired a hospice program in April 2002. Last year, HealthCare Dimensions Hospice served 636 patients in 40 Boston-area communities with cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions who were no longer receiving aggressive treatment. They ranged in age from three months to 103 years.
"We have a team of nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, and others, along with a corps of 100 amazing volunteers," says Executive Director Ellen Leiter. "Our hospice offers comfort-oriented care in the home and hospital, respite for families, and grief counseling. We try to help make every day count."
With the program's aid, Richard Freedman of Arlington, Mass., could spend his last months at home. The 58-year-old was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in May 2001 and appeared to be in remission after a year-and-a-half of treatment. But when the cancer returned this past June and didn't respond to drugs, Freedman's Dana-Farber palliative-care nurse practitioner, Maureen Lynch, MS, RN, AOCN, suggested exploring hospice.
HealthCare Dimensions provided medical, emotional, and physical support for Freedman and his wife, Rose Marie Adamo, who was by her husband's side around the clock. In concert with his oncology palliative-care team, a hospice nurse helped manage Freedman's symptoms and pain; a home-health aide assisted with bathing and other personal care; a hospice social worker gave emotional support; and volunteer Steve Gross lent a hand with everything from moving computer equipment to helping plan the memorial service.
When Freedman died in his bedroom on Sept. 27, Adamo and their 16-year-old daughter, Sara, were with him, and he was surrounded by familiar objects, smells, and sounds. Hospice care at home "is not for everyone," Adamo says, "but it was absolutely the answer for us."
