In medicine, we are trained to fight disease. We learn how to resuscitate, intubate and extend life using every tool available. What we are less often taught is how to help someone prepare for the end of life with honesty, comfort and dignity.

Hospice care is sometimes misunderstood as giving up. In reality, it is about shifting priorities. When cure is no longer possible, care remains essential. Hospice focuses on managing pain, easing anxiety and supporting both patients and families during one of life’s most meaningful chapters.

A good death is not about surrender. It is about choice. It is about allowing people to spend their remaining time in peace, surrounded by loved ones, rather than machines and alarms. It is about honest conversations that empower patients to decide what matters most to them.

As a physician, I have witnessed the difference hospice care can make. When expectations are clear and communication is open, fear often gives way to acceptance. Families are able to focus on being present instead of feeling overwhelmed or unprepared.

Our community deserves access to compassionate, high-quality hospice and palliative care. End-of-life care should not be an afterthought, but an integral part of health care. Every life deserves a final chapter written with comfort, dignity and respect.

As medical director of HomeCare & Hospice, I am honored to support care teams who provide this type of care every day and to help make hospice a normal, understood option for families when they need it most.

(Dr. Thayaparan “Dr. Matt” Mathanakaran began his duties as medical director of HomeCare & Hospice on Jan. 2 and will continue providing patient care to his existing patients through Olean Medical Group.)