New website provides access to hospice care

Hospice Care of South Carolina, the largest hospice care provider in South Carolina, recently launched a new website designed to help people facing an advanced illness and their loved ones gain earlier access to hospice care. The site, www.hospicecare.net, went live this week.

"As healthcare providers we understand how profoundly hospice can support our patients and their families as they face the end of life. Yet, every day we receive hospice referrals that come too late for the patient and their family to truly benefit from hospice care," said Dawn-Michele Teachey, CEO, Hospice Care of South Carolina.

Research shows that the comprehensive approach of hospice care (physical, social, psychological, spiritual) greatly improves the quality of life for both the patient and their family. But the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) states that nearly one-third of hospice patients die within a week of admission.

"Our patients tell us all the time that they wish they had started hospice sooner, yet there seems to be a big disconnect between when care begins and when care is wanted. We wanted to create a way for people to explore what hospice is, how hospice can help and determine when and if hospice is for them," said Teachey. "The site also includes insight videos from one of our hospice families and a hospice nurse, who wanted to share their experiences about hospice."

Hospicecare.net is designed for patients and their families and friends. The site provides free information on topics that matter most to people facing an advanced illness in language they can understand. Beyond helping individuals understand hospice, the hospice choice, and their healthcare options the site also supports the hospice patient and their family caregivers throughout their hospice journey. Content includes information on: how to take care of your loved ones, how get the support you need, how to ensure others respect your healthcare decisions and much more. Site visitors can also connect to a supportive community and get free tools to help them plan ahead.

"We created Hospice Care of South Carolina to make a difference, a difference in every life touched by an advanced illness. For more than a decade we've been changing the way people think about living, about dying and about what the end of life should be, and can be.  It was time to take that to the next level by creating on-line resources and tools that help empower individuals with knowledge and choices," said Teachey. Hospice Care of South Carolina is supplementing the resources found on Hospicecare.net through a Caregivers blog, and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.