Cherish Moments of Life with Your Loved Ones #momentsoflifeoptum

**Full Disclosure: I have been compensated for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am excited to share with you what a great resource Hospice is … but writing about the fantastic organization is making me think and write about feelings I’d buried a long time ago.  See, I’ve had more experience with hospice than I’d really like to know – that’s not against hospice, but rather the pain of losing loved ones.  My paternal Mimi was put on Hospice, as were my grandma (pictured above) & grandpa.

A photo posted by Sara Phillips (@sensiblysara) on Dec 4, 2014 at 8:38am PST

My Mimi (pictured above) has been gone for 21 years, my grandpa 11 years and it’s been about 8 years since I lost my grandma.  I was only in 5th grade when my Mimi was diagnosed with brain cancer.  About 6 weeks in, she was put on hospice. Because I was so young, I don’t remember much about it.

Years later, my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer (lung, I think).  He fought hard, but ultimately, they put him on hospice.  I was newly married and pregnant with James.  The hospice workers were incredibly nice and so helpful.  I probably had far more questions than I should have.  They always answered – and if they didn’t know, they found the answer.

Three years later, my grandma was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (brain cancer).  James was about 3 – and not in school – so we spent a lot of time with grandma.  Even after hospice came in, we spent as much time as we could just being with her.  Hospice did what they needed to do but never once interfered with our time.

I don’t know what we would have done without hospice and their caring, compassionate services.

Has your family used hospice for a loved one?

Do you know what hospice does?

Hospice care: 

• addresses the patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs
• helps the patient’s family caregivers
• takes place in the patient’s home or in a home-like setting
• concentrates on managing a patient’s pain and other symptoms so that the patient may live as comfortable as possible and make the most of the time that remains
• believes the quality of life to be as important as length of life

Hospice has been in existence for more than 40 years, yet, professionals in the field still see a need for basic information about hospice, advance care planning, care giving, and grief.

That’s why, locally Optum Palliative Care is supporting the non-profit 501 (c) 3 National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s, “Moments of Life” campaign. “Moments of Life” educates the public about the choices we all have when facing a life-limiting illness, and how choosing hospice is not ‘giving up.’ The campaign presents the facts about hospice, advance care planning tips, understanding grief, and caregiver stress.