Ann,

I am very distressed to hear this. Hospice has taken care of a number of friends and family members over the years, most recently my favorite uncle who was allowed to pass with dignity in the comfort of his own bed at home due to the care of the hospice nurses and support staff.

This illustrates how short-sighted the government can be. A home-healthcare company that used to be in the office next to mine had to close last year when they were denied funding. Their particular contribution to society was going to the homes of people without any family to help them who needed supervision to take their medication on a daily basis and help with some of the basics of living. The owner told me as he was packing up that the sad outcome of the funding loss was that this population was going to be institutionalized, which ultimately ended up costing the government much more than providing the home helpers.

I urge everyone to contact your congressional representatives and let them know how important hospice care is. We all might be in the position of needing it some day ourselves.

Laura Allen

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