What to Consider When Selecting a Hospice Program

 

Once a loved one has been diagnosed with a life-threatening or terminal illness, making the appropriate accommodations can be overwhelming. A hospice program is a wonderful way to strengthen support and employ expert care for the loved one during this difficult time, but choosing one from a list of many is no simple task. If you’re searching for the right hospice program for your loved ones, these are a few things to consider before choosing.

 

Characteristics of a Great Hospice Program

A reputable hospice program will be characterized by a number of services and features. For example, a hospice care patient should receive regular physician services, ongoing visits from home care nurses and home health aides, homemaker services, chaplain services, counseling and social work services, medications, appropriate therapies, and more. Hospice care can also be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies. In essence, a hospice care program helps a patient to be as comfortable and pain-free as possible in their final life stages.

 

Hospice Care Will Extend to the Family

A great hospice care provider won’t close their support off only to the patient; they will also work closely with the family to ensure needs and priorities are acknowledged. Family members of a loved one in hospice care might receive regular phone calls, visits, or counseling from the care provider. After the patient has deceased, the family generally receives bereavement support for a time.

 

Pain Management as the Top Priority

As serious illnesses and conditions progress, pain and discomfort typically elevate. A specialist from Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care says a well-trained hospice staff will know how to prevent, anticipate, and treat various types of pain and discomfort. The staff will often use studies, surveys, and physician help to determine the best course of pain management for the patient. A great hospice program will be on call at all times for emergency situations.

 

Ask About State, Federal, and Professional Organization Reports

Any hospice care program is heavily scrutinized by many types of organizations to inform potential patients and their families about the quality of care they can expect. Each hospice program is expected to meet a stringent set of standards. Before choosing a program, ask a representative for the survey report from these organizations, and don’t shy away from asking any questions you might have.

 

If you’re unsure about whether your loved one is ready for hospice care, the least you can do is begin educating yourself. By familiarizing yourself with hospice care programs in your area, you’ll have the knowledge to take action once the time comes to select a program.

Categories: consider, Hospice, program

Healthcare at Home: What Hospice Care Offers Patients

 

For people with an incurable, terminal disease and who are expected to have a life expectancy of six months or less, there is a compassionate treatment option known as hospice care. This type of treatment can take place in an out-of-home facility staffed with a team of medical professionals. It can also take place in the home, where the patient’s care is supervised by a medical team and sometimes performed by family members and friends. Hospice compassionate care focuses not on a cure, but on making a person’s final days as comfortable and bearable as possible. It also focuses on helping family and friends to deal with a loved one’s coming death.

 

The Medical Team

Anyone who is considering home hospice care should consult with the medical personnel or social workers in the area to set up a hospice team. This will generally include doctors, nurses, and various home health aides and therapists. These professionals not only care for the patient’s medical needs, but they become a source of support for family members going through a difficult time.

 

How Hospice Care Works

A hospice medical team will work with caregivers and patients to set up a plan that will care for the patient’s medical and comfort needs as well as the practical and emotional needs of family caregivers. Family members will be shown how to manage day-to-day care of the patient, such as feeding, bathing, and medications.

 

Costs of Hospice Care

Hospice care is often considered when cancer treatments no longer work and the patient is facing death from the disease. A doctor’s statement that the patient will live six months or less is required for this type of care to begin. It will continue, however, if the patient lives longer than expected. For those aged 65 and over who are covered by Medicare, an accepted Medicare-approved hospice program will cover the costs of this service. Costs include doctor and nursing visits, medications, homemaker services, and counseling for the family members.

 

For those who wish to spend the most time possible in the presence of friends and family–and in the comfort of home–hospice care may be just what they’re looking for. A specialist from Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care advises those considering hospice care to consult with a trusted medical professional about whether or not at-home care would be right for them. Certain conditions may require hospitalization, but for those able to stay at home with proper care, hospice services can be a great option.

 

Categories: healthcare, Home, Hospice, Patients

At Home Hospice: 5 Ways to Care for an Elderly Loved One

When an elderly loved one is approaching the end of their life, setting up an at-home hospice can offer an option to families who want to ensure their loved one enjoys the best quality of life possible. Fortunately, this can be arranged by making a few simple preparations that will help the caregiver tend to the patient’s needs. Here are five important ways to provide optimum care for a loved one when setting up an at-home hospice.

 

Set Up a Comfortable Room

The first thing a person will need to do when setting up a home hospice is choose a room that has easy access for the caregiver and is comfortable for the patient. Ideally, this room should be on the ground floor and located near a sink or bathroom facility. Then, a safe bed should be comfortably arranged, and a few personal touches can be added to make the patient feel at home.

 

Plan for Personal Hygiene

In an at-home hospice, personal hygiene is of the utmost importance to prevent bedsores and skin rashes that can afflict those unable to leave their bed. Therefore, it is important to create a plan for bathing and washing a loved one’s hair. Those who are bedridden can be bathed using a basin of water and a soft washcloth. It is also important to change the bed linens frequently.

 

Arrange for Medicine Management

Elderly patients frequently take several different medications that will need to be managed by either an in-home care provider or a designated member of the person’s family. Keeping a log of which medicines were given and at what time they were provided can help everyone keep track of when it is time for another dose.

 

Stock Up on Medical Supplies

Depending upon a patient’s medical needs, they may require specific medical supplies. Catheters are a common need for those who are unable to leave the bed that can increase comfort. Breathing apparatuses and other equipment should also be on hand, and all caregivers should be trained regarding how to provide the right types of medical support.

Provide Companionship and Comfort

Once the physical needs for the patient have been handled, the next step is to provide the companionship and comfort that makes at-home hospice care the preferred choice for many families. Arrange a schedule for caregivers that ensures the patient always has someone nearby to tend to their needs.

 

Assisting a loved one through the final stages of life can be made easier through a well-planned at-home hospice set up. By providing your loved one with everything they need to be physically and mentally comfortable, you will be able to ease their transition while providing them with compassionate care.

Categories: care, elderly, Home, home hospice, Hospice, medical supplies, nbsp, patient, personal hygiene

Hospice or Home Care: When Is It Time?

Making the decision to utilize hospice care can be difficult because it requires you to recognize that your loved one’s odds of recovering from a major illness are practically zero. However, it is important to help the people we care about have the best quality of life for as long as possible, and hospice care makes it much easier to provide this. Therefore, whether you opt to hire a home care agency or move the individual into a hospice, you should definitely take steps to help them feel comfortable for the rest of their life. 

How do I know it is Time for Hospice Care?There are several indicators that will help you decide that hospice care is your best bet. You should also discuss the situation with the individual’s primary care physician to make sure that you do not pull them out of a treatment program prematurely.

Four Signs that Hospice Care is the Right Choice

 

1. They Stop Responding to Treatment – Being diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer will require a lot of medical care. However, if the illness is not curable, there will most likely come a point when everyone needs to recognize that treatment is not going to keep extending the patient’s life. When this point comes, it is better to let the individual have the more peaceful living experience that accompanies hospice care.

 

2. The Family can no Longer Take Care of their Needs – As a terminal illness progresses, it will become increasingly difficult for the family to provide the proper level of palliative care. Once this happens, it is in everyone’s best interests for the ill family member to be placed in hospice care so that they are able to relax in an environment that is not causing other people so much stress.

 

3. They No Longer Desire Treatment – In some cases, an individual who is terminally ill will decide that they no longer want to go through an invasive treatment program, even if it is helping them slightly extend their life. When this decision is made, it will be vital for the patient to have a safe and comfortable place to live out the rest of their life, and hospice care can easily fill this role.

 

4. When Everyone Needs Help Coping – Although hospice care exists with the purpose of helping people have a good environment for the end of their life, it is also important for the entire family to receive assistance coping with their upcoming loss. Fortunately, most hospice care facilities and home care providers offer programs that will help everyone deal with the situation, and this will make it easier for family members to offer much-needed support to their loved one.

 

Choosing to get hospice care for someone who is not going to recover from an illness is a good way to show them that you care. After all, having the knowledge that you are going to die is very scary for most people, but professional hospice care providers can help the patient deal with their physical and emotional needs throughout the process.

 

Melanie Fleury’s grandmother was under the supervision of a home care agency for nearly a year. Melanie found that having an agency take care of her grandmother relieved the stress of providing care on her own, but still allowed her grandmother to be in a comfortable setting. 1800homecare.com can help to connect you with a home care provider in your area.

Categories: decision, Home care, Hospice