View more of the Sun's opinion section
I read with concern the July 9 letter “Loophole hurts dying patients,” lamenting that a patient is not allowed to keep his physician upon electing hospice services.
I recently experienced the hospice model through the care of a dear friend. At no time was he denied prompt or appropriate care, and the care was far more timely than his personal physician would have been able to provide.
When he entered the hospice service, his physician gave a complete record of care and instruction to the hospice team. Not only did the team see him several times a week, but the hospice physician was available either by phone or in person to promptly address new issues.
Just as there are specialists for orthopedics or cardiology, so there are hospice specialists, with a team of experts who handles not only end of life, but chronic issues associated with aging. At no time did I have to search for a new physician, but rather the hospice teams I worked with provided the physician. Yes, my friend was most vulnerable at this time, but the hospice experts tended to not only him, but to his family’s emotional needs and need for information.
While I regretted that his primary physician could not be directing the care during his final days, I recognized that she did not have the expertise that the hospice physician and his team could provide.