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Holidays are a good time to talk about hospice

Gene Han
/
https://flic.kr/p/3ea1Y

A national health organization is urging Michigan residents to take time over the holidays to talk about hospice care options with their loved ones.

Roughly half of decedents in the state of Michigan were enrolled in hospice at the time of their death.

Edo Banach is with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. He said it’s important to have conversations about end of life care.

“Most people get hospice care at home, over 90% do. But people don’t realize that hospice is also a benefit that provides help for their loved ones who are dealing with grief and loss.”

Banach said the holidays tend to be a time when people deal with grief.

He said conversations about end of life care are essential.

“It’s not about giving up. The focus is on the quality of people’s lives while they are dealing with a serious illness and maintaining that quality as long as possible.”

Banach said naming a proxy, someone to make end of life health decisions for you, is particularly important.

Every year roughly one point four million people nationwide receive hospice care.