Hospice care at home is near and dear to my heart. Still, my heart skipped a beat as I read the pithy press release last weekend revealing former President Jimmy Carter was starting hospice care at home.
But before parsing the announcement from The Carter Center, let’s acknowledge that preparing to say goodbye to the 39th president is not how any of us thought we’d observe Presidents’ Day weekend this year.
In fact, I watched Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Short Film “The Martha Mitchell Effect” on Netflix Friday night. As a result, I sort of second guessed Saturday’s news that Carter is starting hospice care at home.
Nonetheless, I’ve come to accept that his days are short. And the plain language of The Carter Center to convey a simple message provides an opportunity to consider not only the former president’s choices, but our own end-of-life care options.
Saturday’s statement on President Carter’s health read, “After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”
There are four levels of hospice care. And the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes this 26-page booklet to delve into who’s eligible, what’s included, and how to find hospice care providers.
Many health care professionals who work in hospice and palliative care find that patients and families are often reluctant to broach the subject first. Likewise, some physicians may hesitate to start the conversation. In both cases, no one wants to be seen as “giving up.” But choosing hospice is not giving up. Think of it as a peaceful transfer of care.
When my late father was in his 50th and final year of life, he chose hospice at home. To this very day, I cherish the gift that his choice afforded. Thirty-three years on, I don’t recall how many days he was on hospice. In any case, he too had the full support of his family and his Dana-Farber Cancer Institute team. I didn’t realize all the ironic things my dad used to say and do until he was gone, but dying in the living room ranks right up there.
It is never too soon to ask about hospice, according to Michele Clayborne, Executive Director of HospiceCare in The Berkshires. In an email, she wrote, “Advance care planning conversations are essential to helping patients and families get the care that they want.” Or as faith-based Jimmy Carter once addressed a Bible class in Plains, Ga., “We should live our lives as though Christ were coming this afternoon.” Or overheard on Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”
On balance, Carter’s post-presidency is in its epic 42nd year. I believe Americans are better off today than we were four decades ago because of his decency, magnanimity, and kindness. Of course, we should all be grateful to Jimmy Carter for a life well-lived. And for his remarkable example at the end, we should honor him for years to come.
