A Palliative Doctor Explains What Hospice Actually Is | Dr. Andy Arwari

Going on Hospice Does Not Mean They Are Giving Up on You In this episode, Dr. Andy Arwari, hospice and palliative care physician and medical director at VITAS Healthcare in Miami, joins host Niki Weiss to break down what hospice actually is, why the United States is the only country in the world with a fully funded end of life service, and why patients who need it most are still arriving too late or not at all. CHAPTERS 0:00 Going on Hospice Does Not Mean They Are Giving Up on You 1:24 Welcome Dr. Arwari: hospice and palliative care as a continuum, not two things 3:26 What a holistic interdisciplinary hospice team actually looks like 6:00 The difference between palliative care and hospice and when each applies 8:18 Why hospice does not mean stopping all your medications 11:38 Polypharmacy, symptom management, and the medicines that may be causing harm 13:04 Why patients in the US are still arriving to hospice in their final days 15:00 The United States is the only country in the world with a fully funded end of life benefit 18:19 Why hospice became medicalized and what that has cost patients 19:04 Advanced directives, living wills, and why they need to be updated regularly 22:24 DNR versus full code: why code status is not the only conversation 24:06 Solo agers, unbefriended adults, and who advocates for them 31:21 Can you be a full code and still elect hospice? The legal answer 31:58 Medical aid in dying: education, autonomy, and the choice that requires both 43:09 Dr. Arwari's takeaways: tell your family your wishes before you tell your doctor WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - The difference between concurrent palliative care and hospice, and why entering palliative care early does not mean giving up on treatment - Why the United States is the only country in the world with a fully federally funded end of life benefit, and why most people do not know it is an entitlement they have earned - Why advanced directives need to be reviewed and updated at every yearly physical, not just completed once and filed away - How the interdisciplinary hospice team works and why Dr. Arwari is part of the team, not the leader of it - Why the greatest gift you can give your family is to make your wishes, values, and preferences known before someone else has to guess Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ Download the My Final Playbook app: Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Apple App Store: [link coming soon] #deathandyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #digitallegacypodcast #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: The Death and Dying in the Digital Age channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.