A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH, CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZING NOVEMBER 2023 AS
“NATIONAL HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE MONTH”
WHEREAS, hospice and palliative care empower people facing a serious or life-limiting illness to live as fully as possible, ensuring people dignity, choice, and quality of life; and WHEREAS, the hospice model involves an interdisciplinary, team-oriented approach to treatment, including expert medical care, quality symptom control, and comprehensive pain management as a foundation of care; and
WHEREAS, beyond providing physical treatment, hospice attends to the patient’s emotional, spiritual, and family needs, and provides family services like respite care and bereavement counseling; and WHEREAS, in an increasingly fragmented and broken health care system, hospice is one of the few sectors that demonstrates how health care can—and should—work at its best for its patient; and WHEREAS, a growing body of peer-reviewed research indicates that timely access to hospice and palliative care can decrease hospitalizations and Emergency Room visits and increase quality of life for patients and family caregivers; and
WHEREAS, every year more than 1.56 million Americans living with life-limiting illness, and their families, received care from the nation’s hospice programs in communities throughout the United States; and
WHEREAS, more than 355,000 trained volunteers contribute 16 million hours of service to hospice programs annually in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, hospice and palliative care organizations are advocates and educators about advance care planning that help individuals make decisions about the care they want; and WHEREAS, Hospice of San Luis Obispo County, Central Coast Hospice, Dignity Health Hospice, and Wilshire Hospice provide hospice care and bereavement counseling respectively to individuals within the County of San Luis Obispo.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Pismo Beach hereby proclaims November 2023 as “National Hospice and Palliative Care Month” and encourages citizens to increase their understanding and awareness of care at the end of life and to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs.
Dated this 7th day of November, 2023
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Ed Waage, Mayor
Council Agenda 11-7-2023 4.A-1