What is Hospice?
Hospice is a philosophy of life more than a treatment method, place or organization. It is a concept of compassionate care that embraces those facing life limiting illnesses as well as supporting their families and caregivers. The goal is to help people live their final months, weeks, and days as comfortably as possible surrounded by family and friends.  The patient is cared for in their own home, or in an assisted living facility, nursing home, or even the hospital.  Care also may be provided in a hospice residential/inpatient facility, such as the Gordon Hospice House.  The Gordon Hospice House opened in 2005 and is a nine-bed state of the art facility.  Wherever the patient calls home, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County provides a comprehensive set of services from a team of accomplished professionals –physicians, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical social workers, chaplains, nursing assistants, grief counselors and trained volunteers – all focusing their care to the patient and family.

Hospice care begins when efforts to cure have been exhausted. Hospice neither prolongs life nor hastens death. It offers instead a compassionate option to traditional exhaustive treatments, incorporating the wishes of patients and loved ones in end-of-life decisions. Hospice care affirms that every individual has the right to die pain-free in a home-like environment, with loved ones, if that is what he or she so chooses.

The comfort care provided by hospice is called palliative care, a term that reflects efforts to treat the symptoms and maximize patient comfort; it is not aimed at curing the disease.  Hospice caregivers provide expert pain control and symptom management services.  An individual care plan is developed in cooperation with the patient’s physician, the patient and the caregiver.  Physical comfort is a priority, but the hospice caregiving team also work hard to resolve the emotional, social and spiritual distress so common at the end of life.

Hospice care is not just for those with cancer. In fact, only 46% of patients at Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County have cancer. Hospice also treats patients with diseases such as Emphysema, Alzheimer’s, Heart Disease, Lung Disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Kidney or Liver Disease, Parkinson’s, Stroke and any other situation where life expectancy is six months or less.

There are three basic admission criteria to enter the hospice program through Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County:

• The patient must have a terminal illness with a life-limiting prognosis.
• The patient must live in the service area, which includes Iredell, Davie, Rowan, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Catawba, Alexander, Wilkes, and Yadkin Counties.
• The patient’s care is palliative (comfort and symptom management) and treatment is focused on comfort and quality of life.