What is Hospice Care? Here is All About Hospice Care
Hospice Care
The term hospice care is often misunderstood, and in many people's minds, it equates to imminent death. On the contrary, hospice care focuses on the quality of life and the wishes of the patient and his family and relieves distress at the end of life and the months before death.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice is the type of health care that focuses on relieving a terminally ill patient's distress and symptoms and taking care of their emotional and spiritual needs during the last stages of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and the quality of life by reducing pain and suffering. Hospice care provides an alternative to treatments that focus on life-prolonging measures that may be difficult, likely to cause more symptoms, or not align with a person's goals.
Elderly care cares for the people where they live. Although some of the hospice care is provided in hospitals, hospices, or nursing homes, most patients receive care where they call home, which most people prefer. Hospice provides all necessary medicines, services, and equipment. In addition, hospice offers bereavement care (grief support) for up to 13 months.
What is the philosophy of Hospice Care?
Hospice care provides compassionate care to people in the last stages of an incurable disease or simply old age to live as fully and comfortably as possible. The philosophy of the elderly accepts death as the final stage of life: it affirms life but does not attempt to precipitate or postpone death. Instead, it is concerned with providing the individual and the family with support and choices so everyone can be fully present.
Quoting Mrs. Cecily Saunders, founder of the first Modern Shelter, "You are important because of who you are. You are important to the last moment of your life, and we will do everything we can to help you die in peace and live until you die."
Who can benefit from Hospice Care?
Given that we are all human, most of us are. Hospice wraps around the patient and his family to provide support during difficult and awkward times. Most of us have never been with someone towards the end of our life, let alone die. Hospice staff can also explain what is going on, how the person is taken care of, and what to expect. Medicare-approved hospice homes must have a 24/7 telephone line to call when crises or questions arise, so no one is trying on their own to figure out what to do or call 911. More comfortable and instructing caregivers in its use.
Does Hospice Care Acceptance Give Up?
This seems to be the understanding of so many people. However, there is the other way to look at it.
In many ways, choosing a hospice is the opposite of giving up; Choosing a hospice is a practical choice to have a voice and some control during the last stages of one's life. Instead of being pushed by the processes and procedures of the healthcare system, we can choose care that aligns with our values and priorities. Those who want to do everything possible can receive this care, but many people will choose a less intrusive path.
What services does the hospice provide?
Hospice care is provided by the team that works together to focus on a patient's needs, whether they are physical, emotional, or the spiritual. First the goal is to keep the patient as free from pain as possible, with loved ones nearby.
The team usually consists of:
- Clergy or other advisors
- home health aides
- Hospice physician (or medical director 0
- nurses
- social workers
- trained volunteers
- Speech, body, and occupational therapists, if needed
- The patient's physician may be included
Often, people choose to involve their primary physician in their medical care. For example, the primary physician and medical director of a hospice may work together to coordinate a patient's medical care, especially when symptoms are difficult to manage.
Among his primary responsibilities, the multidisciplinary hospice care team:
- Treats the patient's pain and symptoms
- Provides emotional support
- Providing medicines, medical supplies, and equipment
- Trains caregivers on how to care for a patient
- Offers special services such as speech and physical therapy when needed
- Short-term inpatient care is available when pain or symptoms become too challenging at home or when caregivers need time off.
- Offers grief support, also known as bereavement support.