EXPERTS SAY ENGAGING WITH HOSPICE SOONER IS MORE ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jen VanSkiver Chief Communications Officer (616) 560-3658

EXPERTS SAY ENGAGING WITH HOSPICE SOONER IS MORE BENEFICIAL TO PATIENTS, FAMILIES

GRAND HAVEN, MI - Thursday, October 31, 2013--As part of National Hospice Month in November, clinical and administrative leaders of Hospice of North Ottawa Community, part of North Ottawa Community Health, are embarking on a local speaking tour to help the public learn more about a difficult topic that most people choose to ignore: when to engage with Hospice to care for a dying loved one.

"Many people believe hospice or, end-of-life care, is best utilized during a loved one's last few days, or weeks," said Colleen VanPutten, Hospice of North Ottawa Community Director. "While Hospice is the gold standard in end-of-life care, people need to understand that this care can be given over a period of several months."

Content for the public speaking tour, which includes scheduled appearances at Four Pointes, NOCHS Auxiliary, and local service organizations, came from an emerging trend identified by officials at Hospice of North Ottawa Community. Patient/family feedback indicates that although people are very satisfied with the care they received, many expressed regret for not engaging sooner ? stating they would have found it beneficial to know more about the array of services (bereavement support, respite care, emotional counseling) that can be accessed as many as six months before a patient's passing.

NOTE: As part of NOCHS educational community benefit outreach, Hospice of North Ottawa Community is available to speak to any local organization, free of charge. To schedule, call Colleen VanPutten at (616) 9357837.

"There are significant benefits to early engagement with Hospice, said Dr. Tom Alguire, Hospice of North Ottawa Community Medical Director. "Early intervention gives the family time to come to terms with what's happening, time to make plans in a state of calm versus crisis, as well as manage the patient's pain/symptoms so they can more meaningfully interact with loved ones in their final days."

If the benefit is clear, why don't more people engage sooner? Hospice of North Ottawa Community experts believe it's a lack of education.

"Our message is simple: Call ... even if all you have are questions. Calling doesn't necessarily initiate engagement. Our role is to provide care and comfort, as well as counsel," said VanPutten. "The decision is very personal and often very confusing. We provide a sympathetic and knowledgeable ear to help families arrive at a decision and timeframe that's best for them."

"It's interesting ... when it comes to health care in general, we are hearing a lot about patients needing to invest more robustly in the doctor-patient relationship, talk more openly about their expectations and concerns, and engage with preventive care instead of waiting until they are really, really sick," said Dr. Alguire. "The same is true for end-of-lifecare ? the better the dialogue up front and the sooner patients and families engage, the better the experience."

Hospice is appropriate for any person, who has months versus years to live, such as in the case of end-stage heart disease, COPD, renal failure or advanced dementia. It is often very hard for families to come to terms with their loved one's prognosis and reconcile that it's time to take that next step. Many times, a loved one's doctor will be the first to

recommend Hospice care, but not always. Some physicians continue to pursue treatment based on what they think the patient and family want. In other cases, such as with congestive heart failure or lung disease (COPD), it can be difficult for a doctor to predict the rate of a patient's decline. Therefore, it's important that dialogue between families and physician occur robustly, ensuring all parties involved share the same goals for maintaining quality of life.

Hospice of North Ottawa Community, part of North Ottawa Community Health, is the longest-standing Hospice on the lakeshore ? more than 30 years in service. Its services are for any terminally ill person with a limited life expectancy, who resides in Ottawa or Muskegon County. The professional teams of Hospice of North Ottawa Community provide compassionate, physical, emotional, social and spiritual care to enhance the final stages of life. Hospice services preserve dignity and provide comfort for patients and their families, and extend into the community through end-of-life education and bereavement support.

Ranked nationally for Patient Experience 2012 and 2013 by HealthGrades, North Ottawa Community Hospital is part of full continuum of care including an 84-bed long-term care facility, home healthcare and durable medical equipment services, retail pharmacy, urgent care center, as well as physician practices in primary care and OB/GYN. NOCHS is among the lakeshore's major employers with more than 800 employees.

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