Hospice is not about death, it is about life.

Most of us are familiar with someone from church or work or in our family who has chosen hospice care. If they have done so, that person and their loved ones made a very good decision.

Hospice is not about death as much as it is about life. About living it out the way you want to. Hospice care is a gift that gives you a voice in how you want to live what life you have left and plan for a good death.

The Athens, Tennessee team for Hospice of Chattanooga has been recognized for the agency's highest satisfaction scores for the last quarter of 2016.

"The focus of the care we provide to thousands of people in this area is based on the belief that each of us has the right to die with dignity, as pain-free as possible, surrounded by our family and friends," said Greg Phelps, M.D., medical director for Hospice of Chattanooga. "Most of the time, the setting for someone choosing hospice care is their home, though their home might now be a nursing home or assisted living facility."

Last year, an event at UTC drew over a hundred people who used part of the session to pair off in small groups to discuss those things one would really want to have happen at that most precious time of our life. The session set the stage for someone who has received the prognosis, or to share with a loved one who is sick, that it can actually be healthy to approach the diagnosis as a new beginning. A time to see and do the things you never have, but always wanted to experience. It is an interesting exercise to sit with your family and discuss what each of you would want to do with the rest of your life?

Hospice of Chattanooga care gives someone a chance to reclaim their life. Once someone accepts that dying is not a question of "if" but rather of "when," hospice care opens up a path to claim comfort while creating more memories with family and friends. Every patient is surrounded by a hospice physician, nurse, CNA, social worker, bereavement counselor, chaplain and an assigned volunteer that walks with them on their end-of-life journey.

Tracy Wood, CEO of Hospice of Chattanooga says part of every hospice worker's day is spent explaining to people what they do because many people think they are supposed to be afraid of hospice.

"Not a week goes by that a family member tells us that if they had known how great Hospice of Chattanooga is, they would have called us sooner," said Wood, who says studies show that patients who choose hospice frequently live longer than those who continue curative treatments.

Hospice of Chattanooga care is family focused, providing support not only for the patient but their caregiver as well.

The other gift given this community by the only not-for-profit hospice provider in this region is the Hospice Care Center that will soon celebrate its seventh anniversary.

"We are unique in that respect," said Wood. "There are other hospice organizations but none of them offer this kind of facility for patients who need intensive symptom management and which accommodates family members like we do."

While most hospice patients are referred by their physician, anyone can ask for a medical assessment to see if their loved one should have hospice care. Feel free to call Hospice of Chattanooga at 423-892-4289 to request a visit, or you can learn more about hospice care at hospiceofchattanooga.org

Hospice facts:

If you are qualified for Medicare, 100% of hospice care is paid for, but not room and board

Hospice is not just for cancer patients. Over half of hospice patients have Alzheimer's disease, congestive heart failure, end-stage chronic diseases and other illnesses

Hospice of Chattanooga is not-for-profit, owned by our community and governed by a Board of Directors made up of volunteers from business and medical backgrounds

Hospice of Chattanooga provides services to patients in 10 Tennessee and 8 Georgia counties.

The Hospice of Chattanooga Foundation receives donations small and large to help assist patients who deserve hospice care but are not covered under Medicare or any commercial insurance plan.

Generous donations also support an annual fall grief camp for kids who have lost a loved one or friend.

Noteworthy:

"The focus of the care we provide to thousands of people in this area is based on the belief that each of us has the right to die with dignity, as pain-free as possible, surrounded by our family and friends," said Greg Phelps, M.D., medical director for Hospice of Chattanooga