Contact: Maria Patino 832.408.7999 accreditedhospicesofamerica.com Last week, I met someone in a coffee shop that had worked for ten years at a retirement home for the elderly. We had an enjoyable conversation about how several people would come in and request volunteer work or be searching for volunteer services in his area. I could relate to his...

Contact: Maria Patino 832.410.3198 accreditedhospicesofamerica.com As people grow older, they face an often dizzying array of options for managing their health and well-being. Fortunately, taking care of everything by oneself at home or moving to a nursing facility are not the only choices. In-home services are a very good option for many older adults who...

Many people find themselves at loss for words when they find out someone they know is suffering from cancer. Even with the best of intentions, they can find themselves saying things that are hurtful without realizing their impact on the cancer patient. Caring for someone close to you who has been diagnosed with cancer is...

Contact: Maria Patino 832.408.7999 [email protected] Initiating the conversation about hospice is the fist step in helping a patient have a comfortable transition from curative to comfort care. As the patient’s physician,and as someone he or she trusts, you can play an integral role in helping your patient develop a plan for end-of-life discussions, patients are...

Hospice care in the United States is a type and philosophy of end-of-life care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient’s symptoms. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social in nature. Since its first establishment, the industry has rapidly expanded. In the United States, it is distinguished by more extensive...

Palliative care, and the medical sub-specialty of palliative medicine, is specialized medical care for people living with serious illness. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by...

Comfort care is an essential part of medical care at the end of life. It is care that helps or soothes a person who is dying. The goal is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible while respecting the dying person’s wishes. You are probably reading this because someone close to you is...

Contact: Debbie Mosbacher 832.410.3192 As the demand for care and services in assisted living and residential care increases, so too does the use of home care, home health, and hospice. But it can be confusing to understand the difference between these providers and the services they offer. Fortunately, the Accredited Hospices of America services provides...

When death comes suddenly, there is little time to prepare. On the other hand, watching an older person become increasingly frail may mean that it’s hard to know when the end of life begins because changes can happen so slowly. But if you do know death is approaching and understand what will happen, then you...

Decades ago, most people died at home, but medical advances have changed that. Today, most Americans are in hospitals or nursing homes at the end of their lives. Some people enter the hospital to get treated for an illness. Some may already be living in a nursing home. Increasingly, people are choosing hospice care at...