November is Hospice Palliative Care month in the United States. The outreach theme - “Comfort. Love. Respect.” - is based on the firsthand experience of actress and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organisation (NHPCO) ambassador Torrey DeVitto who created the phrase for a t-shirt she designed for NHPCO and the National Hospice Foundation earlier this year.

Torrey DeVitto, star of the  television series “The Vampire Diaries” and “Pretty Little Liars” has been a hospice volunteer for five years and became NHPCO’s ambassador in 2011. “As a hospice volunteer myself,  I’ve seen first hand how dedicated individuals provide companionship, support, and a shoulder to lean on at a time when it’s needed most,” remarked DeVitto. “I’m working to help younger people understand the value of hospice and hopefully to get involved as volunteers with their local hospices."

According to the NHPCO more than 1.58 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospice palliative care providers in the United States. During National Hospice and Palliative Care Month providers across the country are raising awareness of the many benefits of hospice palliative care.

J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO said “Hospice is not brink-of-death care intended for the last days of life only,…hospice care is most effective for patients and families in the final months of life when families can take full advantage of the range of services hospice provides.”

Hospices are the largest providers of palliative care services in the USA with many organisations working to offer a seamless continuum of care through the course of a serious illness. Hospice ambassadors such as Torrey DeVitto help to raise the profile of hospice and palliative care, and expand public awareness of these services.