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The choice and benefit of comfort care

When it was announced that Barbara Bush's health was failing and that she was choosing comfort care at her home in Houston, many questioned what that type of care entailed.

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- The declining health of former First Lady Barbara Bush has introduced a health term into our vocabulary, comfort care.

In a statement tweeted out by Jim McGrath, who represents the Bush family, the term comfort care is used to describe Barbara Bush's decision to stay at her Houston home and not seek additional medical treatment.

Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images
ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 02: Former first lady Barbara Bush attends day two of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center on September 2, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.  

The assumption is that comfort care is the same as hospice care and the two are similar. Both are are a type of care for someone with a serious illness, but according to the The National Institute on Aging hospice is for anyone whom doctors think has less than six months to live.

"People can do comfort care in the hospital too," said Mercy Hospital Nurse Practitioner Julie West. "What it really is saying is that the primary goal is comfort, so instead of trying to do things to keep extending life we're going to focus on the quality of life."

Louise Laverriere found out that her lung cancer had progressed in December. Her daughter, Rachel Bisson, made the choice with Laverriere to have her move in with her and receive hospice care.

"We were able to keep her here, they told us what we needed to do until the end," said Bisson. "We had our whole family here surrounding her and she died peacefully."

Rachel Bisson chose hospice care for her mother Louise Laverriere, who passed away on April 6th. 

Laverriere passed away surrounded by family members on April 6th. When her daughter heard the news of Barbara Bush's declining health about a week later it was a reminder of her mother's end of life decision to be with her family.

"I was saddened by that," said Bisson about Bush's health. "She's a great lady and she did a lot."

Mrs. Bush has always been a supporter of Mercy Hospital. It's where the Bush family has helped raise more than $2,000,000 through the annual George H.W. Bush Celebrity Golf Classic. The Portland Hospital also provides comfort care in its Tyler Suit. Comfort care can be provided in a hospital environment, or at home like Barbara Bush has chosen.

"Really just for the family to gather to have some space for themselves," said West.

According to the National Institute on Aging, comfort care focuses on four areas: physical comfort, mental and emotional needs, spiritual issues and practical tasks.

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