Are you looking for help with the latest in healthcare counseling services in your area? Do you have questions about how to help a loved one who is going into hospice services? Are you confused about whether or not can a hospice patient go to the hospital or get medical care and treatment? These and other critical and important questions can be answered by your local hospice medical care providers.
When you have a loved one on active hospice care you likely will have many options available to choose from. Within your local areas you will likely find a variety of care options that you can compare to find the one that is right for your family and your loved one. Many medical care centers offer all-in-one hospice care services, and they are well worth looking into. You can also find alternatives to hospice in certain situations that might be a better option for your family’s unique needs or situation. However you go about it, the most important thing is that you find hospice care that meets your and your loved one’s needs.
If you are in a position where you must start searching for hospices, then first of all, we want to say we are here for you. Looking for hospice services for a friend or close family member is a stressful and emotional time. It is best to think of hospice resources as vital reinforcements that can ease you and the patient’s stress during this difficult transition. The benefits of hospice care are numerous, and have their roots in a 900 year old tradition of holistic, compassionate care. Below are just a few of the benefits of hospice care:
1. Customized, Holistic Support for the Patient
Hospices are specialized environments designed to care for the numerous and complex needs of the patient. Because hospice care typically starts after a lengthy medical history and a formal referral, hospices tag in well poised to care for the patent. Typically, a representative of the hospice will visit with the patient and family within two days to set up a personalized plan. Furthermore, contrary to myth, hospice care can be conducted both in a facility or in the comfort of the patient’s own home. Hospices generally understand how important a familiar environment can be for their patients, and have this ability built into their normal way of caring for people.
2. Wraparound Support for the Family
One of the little-known benefits of hospice care is that hospices recognize that this is a difficult time not just for the patient, but for their loved ones. Most hospices offer some sort of counseling and services to family members in addition to the concrete support to the patient typically provided.
3. Around the Clock Care
Most hospices offer care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This can be vitally important if friends and loved ones of the patient are working, as hospices can tag in during work hours to make sure the patient is as comfortable and supported as possible. Hospices are also well-equipped to deal with complex emergent issues seamlessly, without undue trips to the emergency room. And in speaking of emergency rooms…
4. Hospice Care can Lessen the Financial Burden of Care
The predictable, holistic approach of hospice care can actually lesson the costs of care long-term. Because hospice care is not reactionary to emergencies and instead tends to a patient’s needs daily, the risk of unpredictable, costly trips to the emergency room lessens greatly. Furthermore, the cost of hospice care often can often by offset by insurance plans, even Medicare. In fact, approximately 1.3 million Medicare recipients utilized hospice care to some degree in 2015 alone.
5. Hospice Care is Dignified Care
One of the key benefits of hospice care is its prioritization of the patient’s comfort and personal needs. With hospice care, there will be no medical interns asking invasive questions, florescent lights, poking, prodding, or foreign machines. The environment will be patient-driven and family-led, to ensure the upmost dignity as everyone readies themselves for this next step in the journey.
If you’re curious about hospice care, it is very important to do your research. Ask doctors and nursing staff for their best recommendations, and look up local hospices online. And obviously, include the patient in decision-making whenever possible to ensure their needs are met.
