Atul Gawande Being Mortal Analysis

Hospice provides a place where care and support with persons that have incurable diseases that are at their last stage of their disease process. During the twentieth century, there were many life-threatening diseases were discovered which caused many deaths which could have been due to the prevention of medications. During this time frame life expectancy was at a very young age and chronic non- communicable diseases were taking over the world.

In Sovanne Koven’s review of Being Mortal she says, “Gawande offers no manifesto, no checklist, for a better end of life.” I disagree. Gawande’s whole book is a guide to death and how to lead up to it. Gawande is vague but he explains how to be more satisfied with your own end. A major part of Gawande’s book is when he tells the stories of different people. These dying people whom each have different cultures and experiences, tell a very similar story. Those of which whom are forced into a retirement home are just the opposite. One such case being Alice who went into a home because her son convinced her to. Alice’s attitude changed and she was not as happy as she once was. Alice was restricted to what she could eat, when she could leave, what she could do. It was a prison. But those who are able to live the last few years of their lives in their own homes, with their own things, in familiar surroundings tend to have a much

The different places senior citizens live in is widely discussed in the first part of Being Mortal. Nursing homes are one of the most common places for seniors to end up. Based on Gawande’s descriptions and anecdotes on nursing home life, it seems that there is no autonomy when living in a nursing home. Gawande ponders current methods of handling the elderly in the following quote: “How did we wind up in a world where the only choices for the very old seem to be either going down with the volcano or yielding all control over our lives?” (68). In this quote, Gawande refers to

The purpose of hospice is to effectively provide palliative care to terminally ill patients and their families, it is available to any age, religion or race. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, “hospice provides expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support expressly tailored to the patient’s needs and wishes Support is provided to the patient’s loved ones as well” (NHPCO, 2015). In

Hospice is compassionate care provided to patients facing terminal illness or illness for which there is no cure. These patients are diagnosed with an illness from which they will never recover and usually have a life prognosis of six months or less (Hospice Foundation of America, 2014). The goal of hospice care is improving quality of life and managing the symptoms of disease and the dying process. The care hospice offers is focused on pain management and emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and family (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 2012). Hospice care can be provided in many different settings, often the patient’s own home. Hospice care can also be provided in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and free-standing hospice centers and is available to patients of all ages (NHPCO, 2012). A patient receiving care in a hospice program has a team of healthcare individuals that can consist of the patients own physician, nurses, home health aides, clergy, social workers, and speech and physical therapists (NHPCO, 2012). Usually, a care plan is developed by the hospice team and care of the patient is provided by family members with the support of the hospice staff (NHPCO, 2012). Nurses make regular visits to the patient and family and are on call 24/7. Once enrolled in a hospice program hospice covers everything that will be needed to care for you, from medications to manage pain to

For many patients with incurable illnesses around the world, the time to stop particular treatments is an ongoing argument. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and staff writer for The New York Times, has been following this debate since his medical practice and strives to inform the public on how to handle mortality. In his article, The Best Possible Day, Gawande employs an anecdote, Ethos, and a eulogy to encourage the audience to consider adjusting a sick person’s care according to how they feel.

Sixty percent of all deaths occur in hospitals, and 80% to 90% of the deaths will be expected (Freeman 2013). A peaceful death may mean something different to one patient than to someone else. Of course, often one doesn’t get to choose. But, avoiding suffering, having your end-of-life wishes followed, and being treated with respect while dying are common hopes. The critical needs of dying people may also include: understanding what can be expected of death, being able to maintain a sense of control and having their wishes given preference, having access to information, and having access to spiritual and emotional support (Chan, Webster & Bowers 2016).

Everyone in this room is going to die at some point and statistically speaking it is more than likely half of this room will die from a terminal illness. Most often patients with a terminal disease end up living their last days in the hospital. Hospice is an alternative to institutional death, and one that provides a holistic approach to improve the quality of life in patient’s final days of living. Working as a volunteer for hospice I have witnessed the quality of care that is provided and the serenity it can bring to a family.

End of life care is something that is becoming extremely prevalent today. This end of life care is referred to as Hospice. Here, patients who are terminally ill may be placed in Hospice care, where they will be under constant supervision and will be cared for. However, although Hospice is an ongoing process that exists everyday, there are few people who really know exactly what Hospice is and what it consists of. Upon further reading, it is hopeful that one will get a better sense of understanding about Hospice.

Hospice care main goal is to provide comfort then treating the person disease. Normally patients that live in hospice only have 6 months to live. Hospice also gives control to the patient in methods of their own death. Many patients will rather take a liquid substance that will slowly put them to rest, while others will have alternative plans on how they want to deal with their last stages of life. Hospice is also great at giving the patient many options when there trying to make decision on their death. Hospice overall wants to improve the quality of life and their finial wishes.

Previously, many families chose to send their loved one into hospice care, but with the recent advancements in medical research, fewer people are choosing this treatment route. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), “In the 1970’s, cancer patients made up the largest percentage of hospice admissions. Today, cancer diagnoses account for less than half

The United States needs to provide more hospice care awareness. Hospice care provides services for individuals who have six months or less to live. They are able to enjoy the end of their lives rather than using physician assisted suicide.

According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care organization, in 2011, an estimated 1.651 million patients received services from hospice care, while 1,059,000 patients passed away from this form of care in the same year (NHPCO pdf, 2012). Hospice end of life cares mission/goal is to provide compassionate care for patients and their families who are living with a life limiting illness. This type of medical service gives expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support (NHPCO, 2016). End of life care is beneficial for ones well being while they are passing away. Giving someone a peaceful and warm environment to spend their final life moments in. This form of end of life care is something that most people can relate to as many friends and family members have gone through this process. Hospice care is delivered to many patients, residents, and in general people all around the world, having many factors that go into hospice such as the requirements to receive hospice, the care team and the levels of care one receives, all of these factors are extremely important when it comes to the care for one’s life, family member, or friend.

Within the last 5 years, hospice services have changed for the better and seems to be rapidly growing among older Americans. Since 2013, the service has grown to $15 billion industry. Currently they serve about 1.65 Americans and their families every year. Hospice provides the care the patient and the families want; such as dying at home instead of a facility. Hospice does not provide a limit on their services as Medicare does; which is 6 months or less. These services allow families to have open conversations about death and making sure the families know what to expect and how to cope with the situation. Hospice allows the patient to think twice about treatment. Does it really make sense to have another treatment if the chances are slim to none? Finally, hospice gives the family a chance

If a patient does not have the ability to exercise the right-to-die, hospice is a really good option for them to control the pain and pass peacefully. “Hospice care is specialized care designed to provide support to a person and their loved ones during an advanced illness, it focuses on comfort and quality of life rather than a cure.”(Hospice, 2015) Hospice is really the only option for people who live in states that do not support the right-to-die; it strives to give the patient the highest possible quality of life and make them comfortable, so they can live their final days to the fullest. Hospice is offered in the home, in long-term care facilities, and hospice will do about anything to keep the patient comfortable. They help prepare their patients and their families for the approaching death, and they offer bereavement services to the family after the death for up to three months. Hospice is a great resource for people who are ready to stop fighting and be comfortable, but it still does not provide the freedom that the right-to-die laws can, like allowing people to make their own choices about their life.