Helping Hospice and Palliative Care
Patients Keep Their Pets
give them hope and a reason to get up every day. As
their illness progresses, most patients will need help
with pet care issues.
People have come to bond with their pets in much
the same way they bond with people. Pets are treated
and loved like family members and they comfort
their owners much like a close friend or relative. It is
no wonder then that during one of the most
important and challenging life stages - the end-oflife journey - pets can play a critical role.
Some patients are fortunate to have a broad support
network and receive all they assistance they need.
Unfortunately, as some families deal with grief and
loss surrounding the patient's illness, beloved pets
may be overlooked or treated as an afterthought by
family members who are unfamiliar with the
patient's bond with a pet.
For these pet families, the human-pet bond takes on
deeper meaning and value. Pets may serve as their
sole source of companionship, comfort and love and
Since 2009, Pet Peace of Mind has provided the
solution to this challenging situation. Pet Peace of
Mind helps local nonprofit hospice and palliative care
18
NHPCO NewsLine | Fall 2016
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NHPCO NewsLine Fall 2016