If you are curious about hospice care and are wondering whether it will benefit your loved one, you likely have more questions than answers. Making the decision to place your loved one in hospice care is a difficult one, but knowledge and information about what hospice care can do for them can make it easier.
Here are frequently asked questions about hospice care.
What is hospice?
Hospice is care provided to people who are terminally ill. It aims not to cure, but to ease and manage symptoms of illness or disease. Patient comfort is a top priority in hospice care, and the focus is on giving the patient and their family a meaningful time together.
When is the right time to call hospice?
It may be time to set up hospice care if you can no longer pursue curative care for your loved one because medical treatments are no longer effective. When the burden of treatment outweighs the benefits, it may be time to consider hospice care. Patients in hospice care usually have a life expectancy of six months or less.
Other signs that it may be time for hospice care include:
- Unrelieved pain
- Frequent hospitalizations
- Recurring infections
- Increasing physical decline
- Loss of independence
- Severe weight loss
- Oxygen dependence
Who is part of the hospice team?
Your loved one in hospice will be cared for by a team that consists of providers from different disciplines – such as hospice aides, social workers, and volunteers — trained in palliative care or comfort care. Hospice aides provide psychosocial support and enhance the quality of life for patients who have reached the end of life.
Where can my loved one receive hospice care?
Hospice care services may be provided in the hospital, a hospice unit, your loved one’s home, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home. Hospice care is given around the clock, so you will have someone near your loved one at all times.
Does hospice mean I’ve given up on my loved one?
Making the decision to choose hospice care for your loved one is difficult. You may feel like you’ve given up on them. However, what you are providing is the best care and quality of life possible for a loved one with a terminal illness. Instead of focusing on the illness, hospice care provides a meaningful way to live the remaining months of your loved one’s life – with dignity, peace, and minimal symptoms.
Hospice Services in Bastrop, TX
For superior and compassionate hospice care for your loved one, choose Serenity Hospice. Our doctors and hospice aides provide services for patients in private homes or assisted facilities. Our hospice aides can help with bathing, dressing, cooking, household chores, and light exercises. We also educate family members and other caregivers on how to make your loved one more comfortable.
Talk to us about your loved one’s condition, and we will create a customized care plan for them. If you have any questions, you may reach us at (512) 985-6107 or request more information via our convenient online form. We look forward to hearing from you.
