Hospice care is a team-oriented model for emotional support, medical care, spiritual support, and pain management that is customized to meet the needs of patients. It is also a model for compassionate care not only for the patients but also their family members and loved ones. Caregivers at hospice care centers help patients to control pain and symptoms so that they can live a comfortable life. Hospice care can take place in a hospital, at home, in a skilled nursing facility, or in a hospice center.
You may have several questions if your loved one is seriously sick, and you may think of considering hospice care. You need to find answers to these questions so that you feel more comfortable than before when you choose hospice care. You can go through these frequently asked questions about hospice care and their answers so that you are confident in your final decision:
At what point in illness is a person referred to hospice?
When your loved one has been referred to hospice care in Indiana, it means that the chances of curing the disease are low. However, that doesn’t mean that death is imminent. Hospice caregivers are professionals in pain management; thus, you can spend a few weeks in a hospice to know the best treatment for the symptoms of your illness. Also, admission to a hospice center may be for a short time, and then you may go back home.
How does hospice care enhance the quality of life?
Hospice caregivers come to you to offer everything that you need to live a comfortable life. As such, it gives you the chance to spend time with your loved ones without worrying about pain management and other necessary things that they need. Hospice care is also vital in enhancing the quality of life for patients through reduction of time spent in emergency rooms and clinics, reducing the out-of-pocket medical costs, availing a hospice nurse all the time, and getting rid of waiting for return calls from the doctor’s office.
Isn’t using hospice care similar to giving up?
It is one of the most common questions concerning hospice care, but it is also a myth. While the condition of your loved one has gotten to the point that it cannot be cured, it doesn’t mean that there is nothing that can be done about it. Since hospice care emphasizes on quality of life and pain reduction, it allows patients to spend the last months focusing on the essential and meaningful things. Therefore, patients can spend time with their grandchildren as opposed to driving to cancer centers every day.
Who can receive hospice care?
Hospice care is the best choice if your doctor certifies that the illness is end-stage. Sometimes patients continue to receive hospice care for more than six months. Hospice care offers support and comfort to patients who have cancer, all types of dementia, kidney, heart, and lung diseases, and AIDS.
Hospice care is a model that believes in dying pain-free and with dignity. Now that you have the answers to almost all your questions, you can confidently make an informed decision. You are guaranteed of professional care for your loved one when you choose hospice care.
