In Home Hospice Care Is a Godsend For Everyone Involved

Saying goodbye to a loved one during their dying months can be one of the saddest and most stressful events in anyone’s life. You are required to learn how to cope with your own feelings, while still caring and providing for the ailing friend or family member’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual, needs. A hospice care team provides support for you, your loved ones, and any family members. Here are 5 frequently asked questions about receiving care in the last months at home.

This family centered hospice care near me team includes a doctor and nurse, social worker, therapist or counselor, chaplain, your home health aide and possibly trained volunteers. As an illness progresses, patients may experience extreme pain or other serious issues. This network of professionals act together, usually on an on-call basis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help alleviate any pain, discomfort, or stress. Your home health aide will communicate with your doctor to create the best plan of medication, therapy, and procedures to keep your loved one pain-free, so they can focus on spending time with their loved ones.

In order to formally begin a home care program, a physician must first make a referral. After reviewing the patient’s information and the referral from their doctor, a program representative will get in touch within 48 hours to discuss the illness, needs, and daily schedule of both the patient and all family members. Typically it takes less than a day or two from the time of the referral to get care set up, but in emergency situations this can be accomplished even sooner.

Bringing up the need for receiving medical treatment and care so that you or your loved one can stay at home during the final stages of your illness can be extremely difficult. However, it is best to discuss these things well in advance and have a plan in place, before it becomes a concern. This can help reduce much of the stress and discomfort associated with making decisions about your treatment. Instead, you can make educated decisions in advance and have a plan in place as you progress through treatment.