Hospice and Huntington’s Disease

November is National Hospice and Palliative Month   

Since I worked in hospice for the last ten (10) years of my career, each year I  like to promote it as the greatest gift you can give to your loved one and family when confronted with a terminal diagnosis.

Hospice is a special kind of care when all treatments have been exhausted for an individual with a terminal diagnosis.  Hospice provides comfort care, usually in a home, and the unit of care is the  family and patient.  A doctor referral is needed to open a patient to hospice services. 

Hospice programs also care for terminally ill patients in skilled nursing facilities, residential care facilities (RCFE) and assisted living facilities.  My two sisters-in-law, Marcia and Cindy, were in a RCFE, ten (10) years apart, and were cared for by my hospice program.  

When a person with Huntington’s disease (HD) enters end stage, hospice can bring comfort and relief: HD is a rare, fatal, genetic brain disorder that has the symptoms of ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimers at the same time.  There is no cure.

We Can Never Lose HOPE……