WHEREAS, home care, hospice, and palliative care services provide for an individual’s health and social needs across the continuum of life, serving expectant mothers, infants, children, adults, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly, and providing love, comfort, and support at the end of life; and
WHEREAS, these high-quality services are delivered by an interdisciplinary team of skilled professionals and trained volunteers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, health aides, spiritual care providers, and more; and
WHEREAS, each year, hospice saves Medicare more than $2 billion while providing solutions for physicians, care to patients, and comfort to families; research indicates that timely access to hospice and palliative care can decrease hospitalizations and Emergency Room visits and increase quality of life for patients and family caregivers; and
WHEREAS, according to the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina, home care, hospice, and palliative care agencies provided health and social services to approximately 500,000 North Carolinians last year; and
WHEREAS, home care, hospice, and palliative care services enable North Carolinians to receive quality health and social services in their own homes, surrounded by family and friends; these services support families by easing the caregiver burden and helping to avoid the cost of institutional care; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on home care, hospice, and palliative care services; both caregivers and patients have had to make significant adjustments to stay safe and follow proper guidelines; and
WHEREAS, home care, hospice, and palliative care services build upon a strong tradition of compassion and strive to keep families together while preserving an individual’s independence and dignity in the comfort of his or her own home; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages people to learn more about options of care and share their wishes with family, loved ones, and health care professionals;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November, 2020, as “HOME CARE, HOSPICE, AND PALLIATIVE CARE MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.