Pallium India » US

Record 1.56 Million US Patients Receive Hospice Care

palliumindia — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:00:18 +0000

A new report from The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization shows that a record 1.56 million of all people, an estimated 41.6 percent, who died in the U.S. last year were under the care of a hospice program – up from 38.8 percent in 2008 and 35 percent in 2007.

J. Donald Schumacher, NHPCO president and CEO said:

“This rising statistic shows that more Americans facing a life-limiting illness are opting for care that addresses medical, emotional, and spiritual needs at the end of life and that is the compassionate care that hospice and palliative care brings to patients and families in need.” – Read the full press release here…

NHPCO’s annual publication, Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America (PDF) reports on hospice trends and provides updated information on the growth, delivery, and quality of hospice care in the US. Findings include:

A record 1.56 million people with a life-limiting illness received care from the nation’s hospice providers.
The average length of service remained steady at 69 days. Median length of service was also steady at 21.1 days (that means half of hospice patients received care for less than three weeks and half received care for more than three weeks).
Routine home care accounted for 95.9 percent of patient care days.
At 68.8 percent, the majority of hospice care was provided in the home, whether the patient’s home is a private residence, nursing home, or residential facility.

Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer

palliumindia — Tue, 11 May 2010 09:02:37 +0000

photo credit: BrittneyBush

The US President’s cancer panel is reported to have made the following recommendations, according to a report in the New York Times

Particularly when pregnant and when children are small, choose foods, toys and garden products with fewer endocrine disruptors or other toxins. (Information about products is at cosmeticsdatabase.com or healthystuff.org)
For those whose jobs may expose them to chemicals, remove shoes when entering the house and wash work clothes separately from the rest of the laundry.
Filter drinking water.
Store water in glass or stainless steel containers, or in plastics that don’t contain BPA or phthalates (chemicals used to soften plastics). Microwave food in ceramic or glass containers.
Give preference to food grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers and growth hormones. Avoid meats that are cooked well-done.
Check radon levels in your home. Radon is a natural source of radiation linked to cancer.

An American Cry for Help

mrrajagopal — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:53:14 +0000

The ugly face of politics twists and distorts issues. In the current American controversy, palliative care seems to be (deliberately?) confused with euthanasia.

Thank Heavens there are some clear headed people. Please see the touching video featuring Keith Olbermann on US TV, you cannot afford to miss it!

A Special Comment From My Father

I’m focusing on one thing in tonight’s Comment. The night my father asked me to stop his treatment. All Americans should be able to make medical decisions free of worry about cost…

This is not the central fact around which tomorrow’s health care summit at Blair House will, or should, revolve. But I’d like it on the record somewhere that I asked all those going there, including the President, to think more about people like my father – patients, in our hospitals, at this moment – and less about elections and political points and “crashing the party.” – Read the full transcript here…

Watch another Special Comment: “Respecting pain and patient”