Virginia Focus - Blue Ridge Hospice

If you were not already familiar with Hospice Care or even if you were, the recent announcement that former President Jimmy Carter was entering hospice care probably caught your interest. The concept of providing specialized care for dying patients, linking pain and symptom control with compassionate care, began in England in the 1950’s. In 1982, the Medicare Hospice Benefit was created in the United States. Blue Ridge Hospice Chief Medical Director Dr. Brendan Flynn says Carter’s graceful acceptance of hospice care at home has allowed for the valuable national discussion of what end-of-life care is and how it should be viewed. Let's find out what he means.