Harbor Light Hospice, an Indiana hospice, recently shared a blog informing people about the advantages of hospice care for AIDS patients. AIDS is an immunodeficiency virus that spread dangerously and rapidly in the LGBT communities in the 1980s in the United States and has since gone on to affect many communities across the globe.

The post emphasizes that hospice care is by definition comprehensive, as it is designed to heal not only physical issues but emotional and spiritual concerns as well. AIDS patients are typically given six months or less to live upon diagnosis. AIDS remains an incredibly prevalent disease in the United States. UNAIDS recently reported that in 2018, there were roughly 37.9 million people worldwide diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Fortunately, AIDS-related casualties have significantly dropped since 2004. There were approximately 770,000 deaths due to AIDS in 2018, as opposed to 1.7 million in 2004.

The primary benefits of hospice care for AIDS include the fact that more personalized attention is given to patients in order to address their unique needs. Harbor Light Hospice provides pain management — including treatment of any secondary illnesses that may arise after an HIV/AIDS diagnosis — and home services, including long-term hospice care. For relatives of patients, hospice care can offer more training and education, 24/7 assistance in the event there is an emergency. Relief care is also provided to allow caregivers to step away from their duties for a brief time, as is grief counseling for after a loved one passes away.

Harbor Light Hospice serves patients and families located in Indianapolis, Merrillville/Crown Point and Mishawaka/South Bend and is dedicated to improving people's overall quality of life. It can often be difficult to decide when exactly is the best time to ask about the need for hospice care, so please reach out to Harbor Light Hospice for any questions pertaining to this matter. After a patient and a hospice team agree on a plan for care, consent forms and other crucial paperwork are created and signed. Care can start as soon as 48 hours after a referral is made, and potentially sooner in special cases. Most Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies cover HIV/AIDS treatment, so patients and families generally don't need to worry about financing care. Call HLH today at (219) 661-3100 or contact them online at https://www.harborlighthospice.com for more information about their services. Their Indianapolis center is located at Cedar Green Office Park, 7164 Graham Road, Suite 150 Indianapolis, Indiana 46250.

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