Plano, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/20/2019 -- Throughout November, Heart to Heart Hospice is joining organizations across the nation in recognizing National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and encouraging people to increase their understanding and awareness of end-of-life care.

For more than 40 years, hospice has provided comfort and dignity to millions of people, allowing them to spend their final months at home – where 80 percent of Americans prefer to be – surrounded by their loved ones.

Nearly 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive care from hospices in this country every year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). And it's important to note that the cost of hospice care is covered through the Medicare Hospice Benefit, the Medicaid Hospice Benefit, and by most private insurers.

Hospice ensures that pain management, therapies, and treatments all support a plan of care that is centered on the person's goals. This specialized care also provides emotional and practical support to help family members become confident caregivers and adjust to the future, with grief support for up to 13 months.

"It is essential that people understand that hospice and palliative care is not giving up, it is not the abandonment of care, and it is not reserved for the imminently dying," said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the NHPCO. "Hospice is a successful model of person-centered care that brings hope, dignity and compassion."

Hospice is unique in that it offers a team-oriented approach to treating individuals living with life-limiting illnesses. Caring for the whole person allows the team to address each patient's unique needs and challenges.

"Hospice provides the best level of care possible when people need it most," said Heather Lumsdon, BSN, RN and Chief Clinical Officer of Heart to Heart Hospice. "Our professional care team comes alongside patients and their families during very difficult times," she said. "We are

privileged to make a difference in the lives of our patients and families through compassionate care that provides comfort, support and dignity."

About Heart to Heart Hospice
Heart to Heart Hospice, founded in 2003, is one of the largest private providers of hospice care in the United States. Headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Heart to Heart provides a broad range of hospice services to patients with life-limiting illnesses across 35 locations in Texas, Michigan and Indiana. At Heart to Heart, we understand both the physical and emotional challenges for our patients and their loved ones and our care team is committed to providing them with what they need most: comfort, support and dignity. Learn more about Heart to Heart Hospice.

About the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization is the nation's first and largest membership organization for providers and professionals who care for people affected by serious and life-limiting illness. The organization is committed to improving and advancing the proven integrated, person-centered healthcare model that its members put into practice daily – one that provides patients and their loved ones with comfort, peace, and dignity during life's most intimate and vulnerable experiences, while also addressing holistic health and the well-being of communities. www.nhpco.org