National Hospice Month, 2004

Proclamation 7843 of November 4, 2004

National Hospice Month, 2004

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Hospice programs are a vital part of our Nation's
health care system. They provide comfort, peace, and
dignity for individuals in the final stage of life and
their families. During National Hospice Month, we
recognize the dedicated professionals and volunteers
who provide hospice care, and we emphasize the
importance of respecting and honoring life in all of
its seasons.

For many terminally ill patients, hospice care is a
compassionate alternative to traditional care at a
hospital or nursing home. Hospice physicians, nurses,
counselors, and volunteers focus on making patients as
comfortable as possible, while allowing patients to
remain at home and close to their families. With
comprehensive assistance, these caregivers help control
pain and other symptoms and provide emotional and
spiritual support to both patient and family. In 2002,
according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization, an estimated 885,000 individuals were
admitted to one of the over 3,000 hospice programs in
the United States.

My Administration has acted to strengthen and modernize
Medicare for our seniors, and we remain committed to
providing a health care system that meets the needs of
every patient. Hospice services are covered by
Medicare, and many States offer hospice care under
their Medicaid programs. The Medicare legislation that
I signed into law last December provides that Medicare
will, for the first time, cover hospice consultation
services so that terminally ill patients and their
families will better understand end-of-life issues and
care options. The legislation also makes the program
more flexible and responsive to the needs of patients,
allows patients to designate a nurse practitioner to
coordinate their hospice care, and directs the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to explore ways
to make hospice care more widely available to
beneficiaries who live in rural areas.

Americans believe in the worth and dignity of every
person, and we are promoting a culture of life in our
Nation. By caring for life at every stage, we can
create a more compassionate and merciful world.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United
States, do hereby proclaim November 2004 as National
Hospice Month. I encourage all our citizens to observe
this month with appropriate programs and activities. I
also ask Americans to recognize our health care
professionals and volunteers for their contributions to
helping those facing terminal illness receive quality
care.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand four, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth.

(Presidential Sig.)B