Hospice of Michigan Comment on 'Communications Gap' Cited in End-of-Life Care Story on July  Issue of New England Journal of Medicine

DETROIT, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hospice of Michigan, the

largest hospice in Michigan and one of the largest hospices in the country,

has issued the following statement on  end-of-life issues related to

the publication of the July 26, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of

Medicine.

Hospice of Michigan statement:

"As one of the leading providers of hospice care in the nation, with

nearly 30 years of experience caring for the dying, Hospice of Michigan has

observed many trends, including reluctance on the part of patients,

families and physicians to speak honestly about the issues and decisions

that face patients and their loved ones at the end of life.

"At Hospice of Michigan we are working to address this communication

gap, and empower people at the end of life. This is no time to leave your

wishes at the doorstep. People need to communicate with their doctors and

families to ensure their wishes are respected and met.

    
"With the utmost compassion for patients and families and using an

interdisciplinary team, hospices are a model of service that the entire

health care industry could learn from.

    
"Changing the way people talk and think about end of life care will

result in better care for more people. More than a year ago Hospice of

Michigan began working on a campaign to help drive this issue. We are

producing a full-length documentary on hospice care that will shed light on

what is still an under-utilized service."

    Dorothy Deremo,

    President and CEO of Hospice of Michigan

    Chair, Board of Directors, Michigan Hospice and Palliative Care

Organization

About Hospice of Michigan

Hospice of Michigan is the largest hospice in the state of Michigan,

and one of the largest not-for-profit hospices in the country. Hospice of

Michigan cares for more than 800 people each day, and nearly 5,000 patients

each year. Hospice of Michigan has been committed to empowering people at

the end of life, and through its research center, it produces educational

materials. Based in downtown Detroit, Hospice of Michigan serves nearly 50

counties in Michigan.