Caring Beyond the Cure: A Guide to Hospice Services
When cure is not a possibility, looking for hospice care can be the best choice for your loved one and your family. Ensure that the final journey is filled with comfort, peace and dignity for your loved one. Understand different types of hospice services and which one would be best suited for the needs of your loved one.
Denial. The first stage of grief, and perhaps the only one people would know automatically. But at what point did you come face-to-face with reality? And that the reality is what you least wished for, but now have to deal with?
Sickness is a difficult thing to comprehend; even more challenging to come to terms with. Whether it’s affecting you or a loved one, the impact can encompass all other aspects of your life. You might be out hanging out with friends, and the thought of your loved one suffering can bring you frighteningly back into sobriety. It might even make it difficult for you to take out time for yourself, as you’re fully dedicated to giving them the best care you possibly can. But here’s where hospice services can come in.
When medical treatments aimed to cure a disease are no longer effective or appropriate, it can be time to start looking for hospice care services. Comfort, support and dignity can still be achieved during a person’s last stages of life, and hospice care is meant for exactly that. Understand more about the invaluable support that can be given through hospice care and what kind of services are available so you can make an informed choice when the time comes.
Understanding Hospice Care
The average hospital, for that case, the average doctor only has one aim: to cure ailments and illnesses. But when you take the cure out of the equation, it becomes all about what you can do for the patient. Enhance quality of life, focusing on the journey instead of the ‘cure’. That’s what hospice care is all about. Meant for individuals suffering from a terminal illness, it focuses on what can be done to make this period as best possible for them. From symptom management to pain relief, it also includes emotional and spiritual support. It alleviates suffering to help patients live out their remaining days with dignity and comfort, while they are surrounded by their loved ones.
Hospice Care: Foundational Bricks
The world of hospice care centers around fundamental principles that guide its approach:
- Comprehensive Care: This type of care answers the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of individuals and their families. It recognizes the relation of these aspects in providing comprehensive support.
- Comfort and Dignity: Central to hospice care is the fact that they’re supposed to provide the ultimate support and care an individual can receive during this challenging phase. So it naturally involves managing symptoms as best possible, promoting autonomy, and above all, respecting the person’s wishes during this phase.
- Patient-Centered Approach: What are the preferences, goals and values of the patient? It’s time to focus on what the patient wants, and how this period can be best utilized for their needs. Yes, their mobility and independence might be limited, but it doesn’t mean their decision-making is impaired. Communication is a priority at this stage, for all parties involved. Families, healthcare experts and the patients themselves.
- Family and Caregiver Support: Yes, hospice care is mainly centered to provide everything possible for the patient; but it doesn’t mean their loved ones don’t receive any support at all. There can be a lot of emotional and practical challenges that can come with a loved one’s terminal illness, and to mitigate that, counseling, assistance and respite care is provided to the loved ones as well.
What Hospice Care Offers
Each individual’s hospice care is different; after all, it caters to everyone’s personal ailment and needs. They can encompass a range of supportive care interventions, which may include:
- Pain and Symptom Management: From physicians, nurses to palliative care specialists, all work in conjunction to help the patient. It includes alleviating pain and managing distressing symptoms effectively.
- Emotional and Spiritual Guidance: The typical hospice team has counselors, social workers, chaplains and volunteers who provide emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients and their families.
- Assistance with Daily Activities: Many who are combating terminal illness may lose a large degree of independence that they would otherwise enjoy. Hospice aides offer assistance with personal care, mobility and other activities that are needed for daily living. It greatly enables patients to maintain their independence, without relying on family members.
- Care Coordination: Hospice teams work in conjunction with patients and their families, along with healthcare experts to ensure seamless coordination of care, address concerns and facilitate access to resources.
- Bereavement Support: When the final goodbye comes, sometimes families can be at a loss of what to do and where to start. Hospice programs offer bereavement support to families and caregivers, giving them the tools needed to navigate the grieving process
Routine Hospice Care
Imagine this: you’re in bed, surrounded by your favorite people in the world, looking out the window to surroundings you’ve been familiar with your whole life. Routine hospice care is exactly that. It emphasizes personalized support and comfort within the known surroundings of the patient’s home. It doesn’t just deal with medical interventions. It also includes emotional, social and spiritual assistance, which can be a life-saver for those who are feeling extremely low about their situation. It gives patients a sense of dignity and autonomy, and their loved ones can feel heartened to know that this period is not one without hope.
Routine hospice care involves experienced healthcare professionals (nurses, doctors, aides and therapists) who work alongside patients and their families. They create individualized care plans tailored to meet specific needs and preferences. So it could be just about managing pain and symptoms; but it also could be much more. It can include activities of daily living (getting up, going to the bathroom) or providing companionship and respite for caregivers. This service is meant to improve quality of life for patients, without disregarding their personal values or wishes.
Continuous Hospice Care
As patients begin to enter the final stage of their journey, hospice care also evolves to provide services that can help them out. It’s like finding a ring that you suddenly realize doesn’t fit you anymore; you go to get it resized. SImilarly hospice services also change to cater to the patient’s needs above all. Intensified support and vigilance is required during this critical time. Continuous hospice care can span from a day to five days, providing round-the-clock medical attention.
Not only that, emotional support is also given. It’s to guarantee safety, comfort and dignity, especially during the final moments. Many, if not all, hospice programs recognize the profound emotional and spiritual challenges that both patients and families coping with terminal illness can go through. Counseling services play a vital role in providing compassionate support, guidance and companionship throughout the end-of-life journey. The Center to Advance Palliative Care states that counseling services can include, but are not limited to:
- Individual counseling
- Family therapy
- Support groups
- Spiritual care
There is an interdisciplinary team that takes care of the individual. It can comprise physicians, nurses, social workers and spiritual counselors. Evolving needs are addressed through this team, and a team member is always available, day or night. This can help patients find solace and reassurance, along with their loved ones. It is the definition of compassionate care, and can ensure a peaceful period where loved ones can gather their thoughts and express their love to the patient.
In-Patient Hospice Care
When symptoms become hard to take care of at home, in-patient hospice can offer a respite, especially to the caregivers. Specialized support and symptom management is done in an environment with no variables (controlled). The In-Patient Unit (IPU) acts as a haven for patients who are dealing with severe pain or distress. They have skilled nursing care, medication management and emotional support to alleviate suffering and promote comfort.
The ultimate aim of in-patient care is to stabilize symptoms and facilitate a return to home-based care. Patients receive comprehensive support and compassion throughout their stay. With an average duration of two to seven days, in-patient hospice care aims to optimize the quality of life for patients; but it still honors their wishes and preferences till the end.
Respite Hospice Care
When you’re taking care of a loved one who’s dealing with a terminal illness; it’s hard. You love them, and want to do everything for them, but it can take a toll on you too. It’s both physically and emotionally demanding. Round-the-clock support and attention are a given, and you might not receive the gratitude, which can increase feelings of bitterness. It’s a challenging time for you, your loved one who’s suffering, and everyone in your family, so what do you do? It’s important to take care of yourself too. Respite hospice care offers temporary relief for caregivers by providing comprehensive support and assistance for patients who cannot be left unattended for extended periods.
The American Hospice Foundation also reports on the importance of respite hospice care for family caregivers. It allows them to take a break from their caregiving responsibilities while ensuring that their loved ones receive high-quality care and support in their absence. Respite services can be provided in a hospice facility, in a nursing home or even at the hospital. And so, you can rest and recharge, take care of yourself, so you can take care of your loved one better when you’re back.
Underlining the Importance of Hospice Care
By focusing on comfort and symptom management, hospice care ultimately aids in patients experiencing a better quality of life in their remaining days, free from any unnecessary suffering. Hospice programs provide a supportive environment where both patients and families can find solace, peace and guidance. It empowers patients to make decisions about their care, giving them the freedom to base it on their values, preferences and end goals. Their wishes are always respected and honored, and so they know they’re always in safe hands.
Both families and caregivers are crucial to the hospice experience, and programs don’t take it lightly. Support and guidance is given to families and caregivers to not only support them, but to give them guidance so they can cope with the challenges of caregiving and bereavement. Studies also report that hospice care, besides being compassionate, are also cost-effective. They can reduce the instances of unnecessary hospitalizations and medical interventions, without compromising on comprehensive support for the patients.
Caring for Your Loved Ones Through Hospice Care
Is your loved one in pain, or dealing with an illness that you’re not fully able to help with? Sometimes, the best thing to do for the ones you love is to provide them with a degree of care that you cannot give them on your own. Everybody needs help, and there is no shame in admitting that it is getting overwhelming. Getting help can ensure a happier journey and outcome for you, your loved one and family.
By embracing hospice care, and their patient-centered care, you can help your loved one live their remaining days with meaning and grace, which is so vital as they are going through their final journey. Caring beyond the cure means that you care about the means, not just the ends. Understanding what your loved one needs and how you can be there for them is essential to making this period as happy as possible for your loved one.
