Compassionate Care at Every Stage
November 13, 2024 | Benaroya Community Services, Health & Wellness, Hospice, Resources
November marks National Hospice & Palliative Care Month, a time to honor the compassionate support these services provide for individuals and families facing serious illness. At Kline Galland, through our Benaroya Community Services (BCS), we offer both hospice and palliative care to ensure individuals receive the comfort, dignity, and peace they deserve. Understanding the differences between hospice and palliative care helps families make informed decisions, aligning care with their unique needs and values.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care at Benaroya Community Services focuses on relieving symptoms, pain, and stress from serious illness—at any stage. Unlike hospice, palliative care can be provided alongside treatments aimed at curing or controlling a condition. Our team at BCS works to enhance the quality of life by managing symptoms, adjusting medications, and offering emotional support to patients and families. For individuals living with chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, or Parkinson’s, our palliative care helps maintain comfort while supporting mental and emotional health.
What is hospice care?
Hospice care at Benaroya Community Services is tailored for individuals nearing the end of life, with a focus on comfort rather than curative treatments. Typically for those with a prognosis of six months or less to live, hospice allows individuals to experience their final months with peace, dignity, and control. Our hospice team provides comprehensive services such as pain management, emotional and spiritual support, and bereavement care. Hospice often allows individuals to remain in the comfort of their own homes, surrounded by loved ones in familiar surroundings.
Key differences between services
While both hospice and palliative care offered through BCS emphasize comfort and quality of life, there are important distinctions:
- Eligibility and timing: Palliative care is available at any stage of illness, alongside treatment; hospice is generally for the final months of life when curative treatments are no longer pursued.
- Care goals: Palliative care focuses on improving day-to-day quality of life, while hospice centers on providing comfort and support at the end of life.
- Provided services: Both hospice and palliative care address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, but hospice also includes grief and bereavement support for loved ones.
Compassionate, personalized care at Benaroya Community Services
Both hospice and palliative care go beyond medical support, providing holistic care that addresses each aspect of a person’s life. Our teams of home care aides, nurses, social workers, and chaplains work together to offer seamless, personalized care.
- Personalized attention: Each care plan is customized to fit the individual’s changing needs and preferences, ensuring comfort and dignity at every stage.
- Family support: We understand caregiving is a team effort, and we involve families in the care process, offering guidance and support throughout the journey.
- Dedicated teams: Our interdisciplinary teams collaborate to ensure all physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met with compassion.
Both hospice and palliative care at BCS are grounded in the principle of aligning medical decisions with a person’s values and preferences, ensuring that care is as compassionate as it is comprehensive.
Sherry Baron’s Story: A Hospice Volunteer’s Perspective
One of the many individuals who has experienced the impact of our hospice care firsthand is Sherry Baron, a dedicated Kline Galland Hospice volunteer for over two years. Sherry’s deep connection to hospice began with personal experiences in her own family. The compassionate care she witnessed at Kline Galland, particularly during her mother’s hospice stay, motivated her to give back by becoming a volunteer. Her story is a testament to the profound difference hospice care can make—not only for patients but for their families as well.
For Sherry, it’s the care and dedication of the hospice team that stands out most: “I love the level of care and dedication for everyone that’s involved. They are just so authentic. The people doing the hospice work, you can tell that they’re called to it.”
If you’re considering hospice or palliative care for yourself or a loved one, contact us to learn more about our services and find the compassionate support you deserve.
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Sources: NIH; Get Palliative Care; Hospice Foundation of America; Web MD
