Opinion | By Tonja Myers, LNHA, executive director of Christian Health Care Center
“I wish we knew about hospice sooner.” That is a sentiment I hear often from families.
As a health care leader, those words remind me of the misconceptions surrounding hospice care. Some people believe hospice means giving up, but it isn’t about giving up. It’s about choosing comfort and quality of life while providing patients and their loved ones with compassionate medical, emotional and spiritual support.
Many families don’t learn about hospice until they are facing a medical crisis. Earlier conversations reduce stress, help families understand options and provide more time to focus on being together.
Many will face end-of-life decisions for someone they love, and they will benefit from access to care close to home. That’s why construction is underway on nine private hospice suites at Christian Health Care Center in Lynden. The project is about more than adding space; it is about expanding hospice care in North Whatcom County.
Since 1956, CHCC has cared for our community through every stage of aging, including life’s final chapter. Transforming an area of our facility into private hospice suites is a natural extension of our mission.
My hope is that the new hospice suites will provide more families with end-of-life care close to home and serve as a reminder that caring for one another doesn’t end when curative treatment does. I also hope this letter encourages people to talk about hospice sooner, before a crisis makes that conversation more difficult.
This letter was published by The Bellingham Herald.