The Caring Corner®
The Caring Corner – The Benefits of Hospice Care
When a family member has a terminal illness, it can be an incredibly difficult time. In addition to dealing with the physical and emotional strain of the situation, families must also make decisions about how best to care for their loved one. One option that is gaining popularity is hospice care. Hospice care is designed to provide comfort and support to patients in the advanced stages of illness, as well as their families. It is a free service provided by Medicare. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits that hospice care offers.
Pain Management: One of the primary goals of hospice care is pain management. Hospice staff are trained in providing palliative care which includes treatments such as medications, massage therapy, and other techniques to reduce pain and improve quality of life. Patients have access to round-the-clock medical attention if needed, which helps ensure that pain levels remain manageable throughout the day and night.
Compassionate Support: In addition to managing physical pain, hospice also provides compassionate emotional support for both patients and their families. Staff members are trained in providing psychological counseling services, grief counseling, spiritual guidance, and more. They understand that this can be a difficult time for everyone involved and strive to make sure that no one has to go through it alone.
Caregiver Relief: Having someone else help with the daily tasks associated with caring for a loved one can be a huge relief for caregivers who may already be feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities. Hospice staff are experienced in all aspects of end-of-life care including bathing, dressing, meal preparation, housekeeping chores, errand running—allowing caregivers some much needed rest or free time when they need it most.
Hospice care offers many benefits for families facing terminal illness. From managing physical and emotional pain levels to providing compassionate support during difficult times; from offering respite for caregivers to facilitating end-of-life decisions; hospice care offers something for everyone involved in the process. If you or someone you love is facing terminal illness or end-of-life decisions, consider exploring all that hospice has to offer before making any final decisions about your loved one’s treatment plan.
As a final note, it is important to be aware that agreeing to hospice does not necessarily mean that your loved one is near death. It simply means that aggressive medical interventions have been exhausted and that the focus will be on comfort. Medicare approves hospice for six months at a time and the service can be renewed. Sometimes, we had had clients that have stayed on hospice for over a year.
