National Hospice and Palliative Care Month Proclamation - November 2011

Hospice and Palliative Care... We Listen, We Care!

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WHEREAS, hospice and palliative care offer the highest quality services and support to patients and family caregivers facing serious and life-limiting illness;

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110105/DC25260LOGO)

WHEREAS, every year more than 1.5 million Americans living with life-limiting illness, and their families, received care from the nation's hospice programs in communities throughout the United States;

WHEREAS, more than 468,000 trained volunteers contribute 22 million hours of service to hospice programs annually;

WHEREAS, skilled and compassionate hospice and palliative care professionals—including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, health aides, clergy and volunteers—provide comprehensive care focused on the wishes of each patient and take the time to ask what's important to those they care for;

WHEREAS, through pain management and symptom control, caregiver training and assistance, and emotional and spiritual support, hospice and palliative care allow patients to live fully through the course of a serious, life-limiting illness up until the final moments, surrounded and supported by the faces of loved ones, friends, and committed caregivers;

WHEREAS, the provision of quality hospice and palliative care reaffirms our belief in the essential dignity of every person, regardless of age, health, or social status, and that every stage of human life deserves to be treated with the utmost respect and care;

WHEREAS, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is committed to a world where individuals and families facing serious illness, death, and grief will experience the best that humankind can offer.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the leadership of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization do hereby proclaim November 2011 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and encourage all people to learn more about options of care and to share their wishes with family, loved ones, and their healthcare professionals.

More information about hospice and palliative care, advance care planning, and family caregiving is available at NHPCO's Caring Connections website, www.caringinfo.org, or by calling the HelpLine at 1-800-658-8898.

Following the November 2010 release of the White House proclamation signed by President Obama designating November as National Hospice Month, NHPCO expands this vision to address the broader continuum of care available through high-quality palliative care and hospice.

Contact:
Jon Radulovic
NHPCO Vice President, Communications
[email protected]
703-837-3139

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization