Opinion: I care for people in their final days. Here’s what I’ve learned about hospice.

Opinion: I care for people in their final days. Here’s what I’ve learned about hospice.
San Diego Union-Tribune; by Kim Ann Dang; 5/23/24
[Commentary] Dang, M.D., is a physician specializing in hospice and palliative medicine with Sharp HospiceCare, as well as family medicine with SharpCare, and lives in San Diego. As a doctor specializing in the care of older adults, I have witnessed firsthand the profound impact that timely, compassionate hospice care can have on patients and their families. Hospice isn’t just a service, but a philosophy of care that focuses on enhancing the quality of life for those facing end-stage diseases. It supports people in their final months and weeks, ensuring comfort, dignity and respect. ... Hospice is not about hastening death; it’s about enriching the quality of the time that remains. I urge health care providers, patients and families to consider hospice care not as a last resort but as an integral part of compassionate, dignified end-of-life care.