PLAINS, Georgia – Former President Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care for one year, celebrating his 99th birthday and enduring the loss of his wife, Rosalynn Carter. Despite this challenging time, the Carter family has shed light on the realities of aging, dementia, and death, bringing attention to the often misunderstood service of hospice.
Rosalynn Carter, who passed away six months after being diagnosed with dementia, only spent a few days under hospice supervision before her death. This has sparked discussions on the different paths that hospice care can take for individuals and their families, shedding light on the range of an oft-misunderstood service.
Hospice care provides holistic care for individuals with terminal conditions, aiming to help them live their final days as fully as possible. It involves a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers, including nurses, physicians, and social-service professionals like chaplains and secular grief counselors. It also includes home visits, but not round-the-clock care.
In 2021, 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in hospice at a taxpayer cost of $23.1 billion, with nearly half of Medicare patients passing away under hospice care. This shows the significant impact and reach of hospice care in the United States.
Contrary to popular belief, hospice care is more than just administering pain management and keeping patients comfortable. It involves a case-by-case treatment approach, and some patients may even receive treatments for complications that threaten their comfort, such as infections.
Additionally, hospice patients may sometimes be discharged if their condition stabilizes, and some individuals even show tremendous endurance in hospice care. The average stay of hospice patients who passed away in 2021 was 92 days, reflecting the diversity of experiences within hospice care.
Advocates are calling for changes and expansion in hospice care, including the addition of a long-term care insurance provision under Medicare and an increase in hospice payments structures. These changes could alleviate the burdens of care for patients and their families and ensure that more agencies can provide comprehensive care to those in need.
In the end, hospice care is not about giving up, but rather accepting mortality and making the most of life in its final stages. The Carter family has illustrated this through their public disclosures and the challenges they have faced in their journey with hospice care. As Jimmy Carter continues to navigate this journey, he offers valuable lessons to the world on aging, determination, and resilience.