[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 154 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2015-E2016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL HOSPICE AWARENESS MONTH

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2010

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the month of 
November being designated as National Hospice Awareness Month. We may 
hear of hospice care from friends or colleagues that have had the 
unfortunate experience of placing their loved one in a hospice 
facility. Oftentimes, when we hear the word hospice, we think of it as 
a cold and uncaring place that our loved one may transition to before 
their final resting place. However, ``hospice'' care is a compassionate 
approach to caring for those who are faced with a life-limiting 
illness. It provides families with the supportive services that not 
only keep the patient comfortable, but educates the family and provides 
emotional support.
  Hospice care brings together a team of specifically trained 
professionals and volunteers who work with the patient's doctor to 
provide a plan of care designed to control the pain and ease end-of-
life struggles for the patient and family. The typical hospice team 
consists of the patient's physician and the hospice physician; 
registered nurses; social workers; spiritual care coordinators; 
bereavement counselors; dietitians; pharmacists; physical, occupational 
and speech therapists; home care aides; and volunteers. Some patients 
even benefit from having access to music, art and massage therapists as 
well, all of which are services provided in hospice care.
  In the state of New York, there are over 20 specialized Hospice and 
Palliative Care facilities, three of which are in my district. If you 
read the testimonies from family members who have received any type of 
hospice service for a loved one, I believe that you would have a 
different outlook and better understanding of hospice care. Hospice is 
covered under Medicare Part A, Medicaid and private insurance. It is 
truly underutilized by those who would benefit the most and many 
hospices will not turn anyone away based on their ability to pay.
  In closing, I no longer want you to think of ``hospice'' care as cold 
and uncaring, but a philosophy of services available to you and your 
loved one. The kind of health care services that are available round 
the clock; services that don't end once your loved one have

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gone to their final resting place, but bereavement services that 
extends beyond that timeframe and as needed. Therefore, it is important 
for me to recognize the many organizations that provide these 
specialized services in a nation that is hurting from so many crises on 
a daily basis. I want to recognize and honor these facilities around 
the world.

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