Hospice care presents relief for overburdened health care system
“What people are finding is that quality of life is being sacrificed for some short-term relief,” Keochakian said — but the goal of maximizing life at any cost has long been the dominant mindset in American medicine.
“Hospice is a philosophy, and it’s difficult to switch philosophies midstream.”
Brennan said patients and doctors today share a culture where no procedure or treatment is too much if there’s the slightest chance of buying a little more life.
“And if there’s a reasonable likelihood that you’re going to get what you’re striving for, then God bless you. But by trying to extend life, you might waste some of the precious time you have, in and out of hospitals with procedures that are to your detriment,” she said.
This quote, from a BusinessWest article interviewing several medical experts, describes the dilemma that faces a health care system seeking ways to care properly for an ever-increasing volume of people reaching that age where they require significant attention. What most experts can agree on is that, with its focus on patient comfort and care, rather than expensive and intrusive procedures, hospice care will certainly be a part of this solution.
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