Justification for the Clinical Problem

 This paper describes a hospice educational program for terminally ill patients. The main focus of this study is the lack of accurate and inconsistent information on the benefits and options of hospice care. There is a large gap of eligibility, philosophies and knowledge concerning hospice care for patients facing end of life transition. Most studies that have been carried out on the topic have either been biased or provided less detailed information on the importance of creating awareness of the benefits of hospice care for terminally ill patients. Lack of knowledge about the importance of hospice care has led to increased number of people living their last days without receiving the benefits of this service (Garcia, 2018). 

 Most families learn about the benefits of hospice care care when it is too late for the patient. In addition, the families learn about the advantages of the service once the patient has already been admitted in the program. The main reason for enrolling their terminally ill patients to the program is not because they know its benefits but for the lack of another option. The significance of this study is to help patients and families to enroll in hospice care early enough in the course of a life limiting illness for them to receive comfort care and experience easier transition. 

 According to Tofthagen, Guastella, & Latchman, 2019), the need for palliative and hospice care program has increased as people are living with complex diseases with no cure and population ages. The study suggests more hospice care professionals will be needed in the near future to meet the increasing demand for the services (Tofthagen, Guastella, & Latchman, 2019). Lack of knowledge on the importance of these services has resulted in families keeping terminally ill patients at their homes. The authors of this study suggest that providing educational programs to communities could help reduce the number of terminally ill patients who are not receiving these services (Tofthagen, Guastella, & Latchman, 2019). 

 Another study conducted in 2020, found out that healthcare professionals in the hospice care setting can only provide effective services to patients if there is a conceptual framework to guide practice and education (Dyess et al., 2020). The study suggests that most people are unable to access hospice care because of lack of knowledge. “The framework builds on theoretical caring to convey elements of relational, holistic and compassion; articulates inter-professional tenets for guiding values; and aligns with constructs for palliative and hospice best practices” (Dyess et al., 2020). The study suggests that such a framework invites leaders as well as clinicians to develop educational programs to promote awareness about hospice services. 

 According to Allo et al., (2016), healthcare professionals do not have exposure to provide quality home based care. This is as a result of lack of enough education among healthcare practitioners to attend to home-based patients. The study suggests that participation in patient home visits is an effective way to provide education in communities about the benefits of hospice care (Allo et al., 2016). This approach does not cause any form of distress to both patients and their families. As a matter of fact, families who participated in this study were quick to enroll their patients to hospice care (Allo et al., 2016).

 In another study conducted in 2019, the authors argue that most terminally ill patients do not have access to hospice services due to lack of knowledge in the communities (Livingstone, Welstand & Ryan, 2019). However, such patients would enroll to hospice care services if they were aware of its benefits. Livingstone, Welstand & Ryan, (2019), found out that the fears associated with end of life include not being able to stay at home, burden to the family and also fear of undignified death. Most terminally ill patients would therefore enroll to such programs to reduce these fears if they had enough knowledge.