November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Let’s use this month as a vehicle to spread awareness about the importance of hospice and palliative care. It’s time to educate our community on both types of advanced-illness care. These terms can sometimes be associated with stigma and misinformation. But it’s our job as healthcare professionals to set the record straight and help educate those with questions.

 

While advance care planning conversations may be difficult for many, let this be the November that we really send the message home. Let’s encourage our patients to have these important conversations with their loved ones. Planning ahead can do wonders for a patient’s quality of life, especially when they’re at an end-of-life stage. And while it’s never easy to navigate the death of a loved one, family members can at least have peace of mind in knowing what their loved one’s wishes are – having this roadmap can be invaluable when the time comes.

 

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month is the perfect time to celebrate and thank the individuals who work in these fields!