May 20, 2024 | Caregiving, Hospice and palliative care
Hospice care is one of those types of healthcare that many people are unsure about. Until you’ve witnessed someone you know needing hospice care at the end of their life, it’s hard to grasp what it entails. Is it a special place? Does it involve a 24-hour bedside vigil? Are there special caregivers? The answers to all those questions and more: yes and no.
Hospice care is as unique as the individual. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are perfect examples of that. More than a year after he began receiving hospice care, Jimmy Carter is still alive. Rosalynn Carter began hospice care after Jimmy started, and passed away a few days later. Time spent in hospice may be long or brief, and the patient may be bedridden or able to get around on their own power. The common denominator is life expectancy. To qualify for hospice, two physicians must certify that the patient has a life expectancy of six months or less. The patient, their loved ones, and their healthcare provider make the decision about enrolling in hospice together.
What is hospice care?
The focus of hospice care is keeping the patient as comfortable as possible while no longer providing care or medications that are aimed at curing their condition. Instead, the overall goal is to ensure the patient’s comfort by managing their symptoms and providing any emotional, spiritual or religious support they request.
Of course, the patient is free at any time to change their mind and return to treatment that may cure their illness or extend their life.
Where is hospice care provided?
Hospice care can be provided wherever the client is—at home, at a senior living community, at a skilled nursing facility, a specialized hospice care center, or a hospital.
Who provides hospice care?
Most hospice care (about 80%) is provided by accredited hospice companies.
“A person under hospice care receives care on an intermittent, scheduled basis,” explains Dr. Bob Uslander, co-founder and medical director of Empowered Endings, a San Diego-based company providing in-home palliative care and end-of-life care. “The standard approach is having a nurse visit once a week, and a social worker and a spiritual counselor visiting once a month.” Most of the care the hospice patient receives is provided by the family or other loved ones, privately hired caregivers, or the staff of the facility they live in.
Hospice patients may also have home health aides (such as those from Windward Life Care) visiting regularly. Our aides provide a range of services, depending on the need, including personal care, household chores and companionship. If the patient is already a Windward client, we can continue serving them through the hospice period. We work closely with hospice providers to ensure the comprehensive, holistic experience that patients and their families need.
What else does hospice care entail?
Besides keeping the patient as physically comfortable as possible, hospice caregivers provide the support needed so the patient can maintain grace and dignity in the final stages of life. The patient spends their days however they choose or are most able. This may even include going on outings if they can manage that. They might make time with family and loved ones for final conversations, reminiscing, expressing gratitude, or simply being present.
Another important part of hospice care is ensuring family members and other loved ones have the emotional or psychological support they need.
Finally, some hospice companies, Empowered Endings among them, also support their patients who are interested in learning about other end-of-life options such as Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)—in California and other states where it is legal—or Voluntary Stopping Eating & Drinking (VSED). Patients and families who want those options should discuss them with the providers.
Windward is here to help
Windward is always here to answer your questions about hospice care. Feel free to contact us and let us know how we can help.