Abstract
Hospice decreases the fear of dying alone, reduces the agony of death, and helps in maintaining dignity at the end of life. Hospice holds a special place in the care of dying patients. However, the tendency to avoid the topic of death as well as complex Medicare rules surround it still make hospice an enigma. Some of the ethical issues surrounding hospice are: A .Should the referral to hospice be a prescription to abandon all hope? B. Should a hospice patient have to forgo all acute care? C. Can a patient with ongoing life sustaining treatment be referred to hospice? D. Should a current DNR order be a requirement for enrollment in hospice? E. Is palliative sedation acceptable for a hospice patient? F. Is talking about death a must? G. Is hospice care available only in institutions? H. What is the role of artificial hydration and nutrition in a hospice patient? I. How does one assess the decision-making capacity of a hospice patient? In this chapter, we will clarify these ethical issues in hospice, proving that hospice is not only ethically sound, but a good care alternative in thwarting the pain of fast approaching death.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Hospice Care |
| Subtitle of host publication | Health Services, Quality and Clinical Management |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 103-108 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781626184565 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2013 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences