March 10, 2020 | Hospice and palliative care
When is hospice the right choice for a loved one? If you are caring for someone with a life-limiting illness, there comes a time when hospice care should be considered. While some people may have misperceptions about what hospice is, the truth is that many benefits are available for the patient, caregivers, and family members.
Care Options: Hospice Services
Keep in mind that your loved one doesn’t need to leave home to receive hospice care. Often, families choose to have in-home services during the final stages of life. The goal is to ensure the person’s comfort by managing symptoms.
For many people in the advanced stages of illness, quality of life is the highest priority – even over curative treatments or medical interventions. Hospice services are designed to help someone with a terminal illness live as comfortably as possible, with peace of mind they have a team in place to support them as well as family caregivers. Because Medicare, as well as many private insurances, covers hospice care, these services are accessible to most older adults.
When is Hospice the Right Choice?
Providing care for a seriously ill family member can place an emotional, financial and physical burden on the family. Hospice provides the support needed so the patient can maintain grace and dignity in the final stages of life and so family members can have the support they need. Hospice service is often recommended when:
- Curative treatments are no longer effective or a cure for the disease is not available
- Potential treatments are offered with the goal of extending life, but the patient may see the side effects of treatment as worse than the condition itself.
- The patient has uncontrolled pain.
- Families desire to keep the person at home instead of transferring them to a hospital or nursing home.
Keep in mind that hospice isn’t the only option for patients with serious health conditions. Palliative care is another option that should be considered. This alternative provides many of the same services. The difference is that palliative care is available for patients who are continuing curative treatment (such as chemotherapy) or they don’t meet the hospice criterion of a physician stating the patient has less than six months to live. The patient’s healthcare provider can help determine whether hospice or palliative care is more medically appropriate.
Personalized Medical Services: Focused on the Needs of the Patient
Are you asking the question: when is hospice the right choice? Then, it is time to talk to our team at Windward Life Care to learn about available services. We’ll assist in the selection of the best services to meet the needs of your loved one and your family.