For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2002
National Hospice Month, 2002
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Hospice organizations provide people who are near the end of their
lives with family-centered, quality care, that emphasizes compassion,
independence, respect, and dignity. During National Hospice Month, our
Nation pays tribute to hospice care and the persons and organizations
involved with it, by recognizing and honoring its value and importance
for people who are dying, for their families and friends, and for our
communities.
Hospice has emerged as a successful model of care that helps
terminally ill individuals achieve practical, physical, psychological,
and spiritual goals. According to the National Hospice and Palliative
Care Organization (NHPCO), in 2001, an estimated 3,200 operating
hospice programs in the United States admitted about 775,000 patients.
Hospice care relies upon a team of committed physicians, nurses,
medical social workers, therapists, counselors, and volunteers. This
team provides medical services that are designed to improve the comfort
of the patient, manage symptoms, provide proper nutrition, and deal
with other difficulties such as emotional distress and grief. Hospice
care also provides important emotional and spiritual support to
families and friends as they cope with their impending loss.
While we have made great progress in encouraging hospice care, much
work remains to be done to increase awareness of hospice and its
benefits. The NHPCO reports that in 2000, 2.4 million people in our
Nation died. It is estimated that one in four used hospice care and
services. Also, many people at the end of life are referred to hospice
only a few days before death. By strengthening and expanding hospice
programs and working to promote, where appropriate, their services as a
positive alternative for terminally ill patients, we can make a
difference in the lives of countless Americans.
As we observe National Hospice Month, we applaud hospice
organizations, health professionals, and other caregivers for their
dedication to ensuring respect and quality of life for all. We also
reaffirm our commitment as a Nation to honoring the dignity of every
person and to promoting compassion and concern for our fellow
citizens.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2002 as
National Hospice Month. I encourage
Americans to increase their awareness of the importance and
availability of hospice service and to observe this month with
appropriate activities and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand two, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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