If your loved one's condition is changing or has changed dramatically, it can bring on many new things to navigate. If you are overwhelmed or unsure where to start, there are some things to know.
"End-of-life care care is the term used to describe the support and medical care given during the time surrounding death. Such care does not happen only in the moments before breathing ceases and the heart stops beating. Older people often live with one or more chronic illnesses and need a lot of care for days, weeks, and even months before death." (https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/providing-comfort-end-life)
Hospice care can be extremely beneficial for those diagnosed with a life-limiting illness and their family members. They specialize in pain and symptom management, have regularly scheduled nursing visits, can provide aide services to assist with personal care, necessary medical equipment and supplies, have doctor services, and can collaborate with home care providers. Hospice providers vary in what services they offer, but overall have the same philosophy. The goal seems to be to bring quality of life and comfort to patients and their family fully until the end while addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual pain and symptoms. They are experts in their field with on-call support available for questions 24/7, but hospice does not provide 24-hour in home care.
Caregiving can be very rewarding and a way to show your loved one how much he or she means to you. Alternatively, caring for a friend or relative with a chronic illness can be emotionally and physically exhausting. For a caregiver, it can also be isolating if the level of care required confines the caregiver to be available at all times and doesn't allow for time off. On top of that, caring for a dying loved one may compete with other usual responsibilities: children, work, or other activities.
In-home care providers can offer services to assist with daily tasks to maintain independence, allow the primary caregivers to have some time to care for themselves, or step in to a primary care-giving role when it isn't feasible for another to do so. Home care services can include bathing, dressing, medication reminders or administration, house keeping, errands, meal preparation, companionship and more. A home care team can allow for some time of rest and for family members to get a chance to spend time in their role as a spouse, daughter/son, parent, etc. Home care providers should work with you to find out what sort of schedule will be most beneficial, up to 24-hours/day 7-days/week.
When the right home care and hospice teams work together, the client and family member's needs are met. For the client, those needs can include spiritual, physical, some financial considering the medical supplies (and medications) that can be covered by some insurance plans with hospice care, and beyond. For family members and care givers, the ability to have stress reduced, an organized space, and time to rest and refuel can be immeasurable.
The team at Beyond Expectations Home Health Care has worked alongside hospice agencies to allow for the best care for a patient as possible. We strive for our clients to live a life of quality. Our joint effort with hospice teams has allow that to happen with the client's pain and symptoms being managed appropriately. When we care for the client, we in turn care for the family members as well, which can be a relief to both sides and create a total care approach. We can ensure that your loved one isn't alone in the night while you rest to prepare for another day. We can keep your loved one on a medication schedule or give medications as necessary based on orders from hospice. We can help monitor for changes and communicate those changes efficiently with the hospice team. We are here to make sure the small details are kept up on, and doing it in a way that is customized to each individual is a priority. If you have any questions about how we can offer you more peace of mind, please contact Beyond Expectations Home Health Care.
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