The argument from Being Mortal
The book Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, a surgeon and public health researcher, argues for a hospice-centered approach to end-of-life matters. This approach prioritizes quality of life over quantity of life. Care focuses on comfort and support for the client and their loved ones during the final stages of life.
One of the key benefits of a hospice-centered approach is that it allows clients to die with dignity. The use of aggressive and often ineffective medical treatments is absent. Hospice care focuses on managing symptoms and providing emotional and spiritual support. Care is no longer about trying to cure the underlying condition. This allows clients to spend their final days in comfort and peace.
Hospice care also includes support for the client’s family and loved ones. This can include counseling, grief support, and practical assistance with administrative tasks. This support is crucial for the client’s loved ones as they navigate the emotional and physical challenges of end-of-life care.
Hospice care allows clients to pass away at home, rather than in a hospital or other institutional setting. This provides a sense of familiarity and comfort for the client and their loved ones. It can also help to reduce the cost of end-of-life care.
Gawande argues that the medical profession must change the way it thinks about end-of-life care. The current system is often more focused on prolonging life at all costs, rather than providing a good quality of life for the client. A hospice-centered approach is more humane and ultimately more beneficial for clients and their loved ones.
A hospice-centered approach can provide comfort, dignity, and support for both clients and their loved ones at the end of life. Healthcare professionals and families should consider this approach as an option. It allows clients to die in peace and with dignity, and it supports the family members through a difficult season. Being Mortal can provide more insight on hospice and help families to understand how important it is to have a conversation about end-of-life care.
