York County Medicine Winter 2019 - 24

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

IN THE COMMUNITY:

Hospice Care

Benefits of an Early Referral
Enhancing Quality of Life

T

here is fear and concern about being referred to Hospice
too early. Fear that not all things have been tried. Fear
that it is giving up hope. Fear of being unable to keep
their family doctor or specialist. These are all misconceptions and
should not be feared. In reality, hospice care is not about dying; it's
about receiving quality care to live for every last moment.
Benefits of an Early Referral
"The end of a person's life is a time full of uncertainty with
unique challenges presenting from the moment someone first
learns they have a terminal disease to the last moment of his/
her life," commented Dr. Lauren Smith, Hospice & Community
Care. "Early hospice involvement
ensures a team of expert clinicians
will be available to walk alongside
patients and their loved ones sharing
knowledge of and support through
symptom management of the mind,
body, and spirit throughout every stage
of this process. An early referral also
allows the Hospice & Community
Care team more time to get to know
their patients and loved ones, build trust and rapport, and tailor
a treatment plan to best accommodate and meet their needs and
wishes."
Benefits include:
* Goals -When physicians are able to meet with the patient
and family in the early stages of an illness, the conversation ensures
that the patients' wishes are heard. When a patient is referred too
late with only days or hours to live, emotions are high for everyone
involved.
* Avoid Emergency Rooms - When a patient is receiving
end-of-life care they want to be in the comfort of their own home
and surrounded by caregivers with whom they have relationships.
When an individual is referred to hospice care early, they and
their caregivers are given the tools and resources needed, including
access to a nurse 24/7, to avoid an emergency room visit or
hospital admission.
* Help with Quality and Performance Metrics - In today's
demanding health care environment, medical professionals are
responsible to exceed and provide care that aligns with a variety

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York County Medicine | WINTER 2019

of quality measures. Referring a patient early to hospice care can
help to achieve these goals. By providing personalized care to
improve the patients' quality of life - hospice care can help to
meet the medical, spiritual and emotional needs of your patients.
By offering high levels of care for acute symptom management,
hospice care can reduce 911 calls as well as readmissions, and the
overall length of stay in the hospital setting.
"When my patients receive care from Hospice & Community
Care early in their illness, they and their loved ones benefit in a
multitude of ways," commented Dr. Quincy Harberger, Family
Physician, WellSpan Medical Group. "For one thing, they
have more time to get to know the
great team of people at Hospice &
Community Care. Earlier on in the
course of an end-of-life illness, patients
often are still able to function pretty
well. So when they're referred early,
they can more comfortably interact
with the Hospice team, get to know
them, and have an opportunity
to develop stronger relationships.
Another benefit of early referral is
simply getting earlier access to all of the expert specialized services
offered by Hospice & Community Care. In my opinion, there's no
downside to early referral, only the upside of my patients and their
families having more support at a very difficult time in their lives."

Physician Collaboration
"The Hospice & Community Care team is all about
collaboration," commented Dr. Harberger. "My patients know
that I'm being kept up-to-date with what's going on at all times.
I receive regular reports from the Hospice & Community Care
team letting me know of changes in patients' illness and symptoms
and how we're treating my patients overall. Whenever I have a
question or concern, I simply call Hospice & Community Care
and we work together to make sure my patients get the best
possible care."
When an individual seeks hospice care, their family doctor
or specialist is encouraged to remain engaged in their care. The
Hospice physician works closely with the patient's doctor-who
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York County Medicine Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of York County Medicine Winter 2019
