A successful health care executive, Ken Haglind serves as the president of Minnesota Hospice. Dedicated to providing compassionate hospice and end-of-life care to patients and their families, Ken Haglind manages all operations at his company and is responsible for the business’ performance.
Many people still believe several myths about hospice, despite the fact that this form of care has become increasingly common. Below are a few common misconceptions about hospice:
- Getting hospice means giving up. Generally, hospice care is designed to help individuals with terminal or life-limiting illnesses, which gives people the false idea that people receiving hospice care have given up. In reality, people receive hospice care to get something more out of life, such as a life free of pain. This does not mean they have given up, but only that they have redefined their hopes.
- Hospice is a place. When people use the term “hospice,” they are referring to a type of care, not a particular place. While there are facilities that provide hospice care, the majority of people in hospice receive this type of care in a hospital, a nursing home, or any other place where they live. Hospice can be provided at various areas because it focuses on reducing pain and keeping patients comfortable rather than attempting to cure an illness or a disease.
- Only cancer patients get hospice. People seek out hospice care for a wide range of reasons. While about 27 percent of hospice patients have cancer, the remaining 73 percent of patients have other conditions, such as dementia or heart disease. Having cancer does not mean someone is a better or worse candidate for hospice care.
