Is it wrong for a Christian family to use hospice?

Answer

Hospice is a program designed to provide comfort and support to individuals in the final stages of a terminal illness. Hospice care emphasizes pain management and quality of life rather than a cure. It can be offered in a residential facility or the patient’s own home. Most hospice organizations have trained nursing staff and spiritual advisors, including chaplains or end-of-life counselors. Hospice care can greatly benefit families of terminal patients, regardless of their religious beliefs. Choosing to bring in hospice is a valid decision, but certain aspects should be carefully considered through prayer.

Since each hospice is unique, families should carefully research to find the most suitable one for their needs. While most insurance companies include hospice care in their coverage, there might be financial restrictions, so caregivers should verify with their insurance providers. Some hospices provide affordable services for those without insurance, and most are covered by Medicare.

Hospice care offers numerous advantages. It enables patients to remain in the familiarity of their homes during their final months while still receiving medical attention. Additionally, hospice provides continuous support to primary caregivers. With nurses and social workers visiting regularly, caregivers have access to individuals who can address their numerous questions and concerns. End-of-life situations often require various medications and equipment like oxygen or a hospital bed, and hospices are valuable sources for these needs. At the time of the patient’s passing, a hospice doctor or nurse will assist caregivers in the next steps.

There are several factors to consider when opting for hospice care. Before finalizing the decision, all parties involved should recognize that by choosing hospice, the patient is relinquishing the possibility of being cured or undergoing prolongued treatments.

Ongoing life. Hospice care is palliative only, not curative. If all family members are not in agreement that the illness is terminal, relationships can become strained or even hostile.

Some families may face objections from other Christians that, by choosing hospice care based on a doctor’s prognosis, they are not trusting God for healing. Many well-meaning Christians can make this difficult time worse for the patient and family by insisting that God wants to heal and that their choice of hospice care indicates a lack of faith. It is important that Christian friends of hospice patients never imply in any way that the Christian patient or his family is displeasing God or rejecting healing because they chose hospice. Most patients who love the Lord sought His healing long before they chose hospice and have surrendered themselves to His loving care. Hospice is their way of saying that they are placing themselves in the Lord’s hands to either heal or take them home. Hospice patients need encouragement and comfort, not criticism coming from spiritual arrogance.

Another consideration in selecting hospice care is that, if the family selects a program that is not well-run or employs incompetent or unpleasant people, the emotional strain can be worsened. Coping with the impending death of a loved one is difficult enough without having to also deal with hostile or unqualified medical personnel in one’s own home. The last few months of a terminal illness have everyone’s nerves on edge as caregivers feel the overwhelming responsibility to keep their loved one comfortable. Therefore, it is crucial that the hospice providers practice good bedside manners and extend patience and compassion to those caring for the dying patient. If a hospice is not meeting the needs of the patient or family, wise caregivers should choose another as soon as possible.

In deciding whether or not to choose hospice, it’s also good to consider that, under guidance from hospice, the majority of the patient’s end-of-life care will

Fall to a medically untrained family member. The idea of such responsibility can be daunting to the spouse or relative designated as the primary caregiver. Fear and anxiety often skyrocket, and those insecurities are then passed to the patient, causing friction and emotional trauma. Before choosing hospice, Christian families should seek the Lord and ask His strength in shouldering that burden. Ideally, the bulk of care should be shared among several caregivers so that no single person must bear the whole burden of care «Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. », (Galatians 6:2).

Christian hospices exist, and they would be a wise choice for Christian families in need. Caregivers feel better knowing that the chaplain who is comforting their dying loved one is giving biblical counsel, not empty platitudes from another religion. Terminal patients have many questions about the afterlife, and a Christian counselor can offer reassurances from God’s Word or even lead that patient into a saving relationship with Jesus. First Thessalonians 4:13–18 is a comfort that all Christian families can cling to as one they love goes to be with the Lord. Unlike a hospital stay, hospice care can provide the freedom for Christian families to sing, pray, worship, and read Scripture in the familiar surroundings of home, creating a more peaceful environment as their loved one exits this world.