Hospice care is health care for terminally ill patients that are nearing the end of their life. It is focused on comfort, pain relief, emotional support, and family support. Terminally ill people have generally gone through a significant amount of pain and suffering in the progression and treatment of their illness. When a patient is put on hospice, there is a general understanding with the patient and their family that no additional life prolonging measures will be taken, and the focus is on improving quality of life. The end of someone’s life is often a very difficult time for them and their family, and can be stressful, emotional, and difficult to manage. The purpose of hospice is to make the end of life a smoother and more comfortable transition with comprehensive support for the patient and their family. Most hospice care is 100% covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurances, which is essential due to the overall financial burden of medical treatments and funerals. Dying people and their families deserve humanity and support, and hospice is a public health measure that addresses this by improving quality of life, access to care, mental health, financial distress, grief management, and reduces the overall personal and societal burden of death and dying.

Through this experience I learned a lot about the importance of hospice care and the public health issues involved with it. Visiting many different long term care facilities gave me a new perspective on issues pertaining to nursing homes and elder care. In particular, I noticed that the more money one is able to spend on living in a facility, the better care they received. The nicer, more expensive facilities had more staff that were paid better. There was a noticeable difference in my interactions with staff that were paid well and not overworked. They were much more openly enthusiastic and friendly, and they were always very willing to help me and answer any questions. In addition, there were more activities, outdoor spaces, and better food available for residents. The disparities were so clear to me, and made me reflect on the general disparities in quality and access to health care in the United States.

My time at Brighton also taught me about the value of end of life care. Despite the inherently sad nature of hospice, I was able to see the peace that it brings to both the patient’s and their families. It gave me a new perspective on death and dying, and helped me see it as a natural part of life that will happen to all of us.