Discover if In-Home Hospice Care Is the Right Choice
When your loved one’s terminal illness has become too difficult to manage alone, it’s time to consider alternative care services, such as in-home hospice care. For many, hospice is a frightening word with a negative connotation, as it is associated with the final stages of an individual’s life. However, in-home hospice care is quite the opposite, as it allows your loved one to pass with dignity, surrounded by love, in the comfort of their own home.
Defining Hospice
Hospice describes specialized care that emphasizes quality of life, compassion, and respect for individuals with a terminal illness. Hospice care is not geared towards finding a cure, but rather finding care throughout the illness. Hospice care does not mean an individual will terminate any treatment plans they are currently pursuing. Instead, hospice focuses on creating a fulfilling, comfortable environment that the person can enjoy. Hospice care includes themes of reflection, end-of-life goals, and a holistic and supportive experience.
In-Home Hospice Care
Similar to hospice care within an assisted living facility, in-home hospice care aims to manage pain and medical care while offering spiritual and emotional support and guidance to the individual and family. In-home hospice care plans are designed to meet the needs and wants of the individual suffering from a terminal illness and are entirely customizable.
Beginning In-Home Hospice Care
Once the decision to pursue in-home hospice care has been decided upon, the hospice team will work to curate a personalized care plan. This care plan will encompass the requirements and desires of the individual as well as support and assistance for loved ones. Once the care plan has been finalized, the designated hospice team will each do their part to work alongside the individual and their family to ensure peace, comfort, support, and empathy.
Hospice Care Teams
Hospice care teams are made up of various individuals with specific roles to fill during a terminally ill person’s final stage of life. Hospice care teams look different for everyone, as they are decided upon based on the needs of the individual and their family. They are generally made up of the following people:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Caregivers
- Speech, occupational, or physical therapists
- Trained volunteers
- Clergy
- Spiritual and bereavement counselors
Hospice Care Plan
The hospice care plan maps out the needs, services, and desires of an individual’s end of life journey and is created before beginning in-home hospice care. The program will include medication and treatment preferences, intervention, information regarding changes in condition, the number of visits from each discipline of the hospice care team, family support, and emotional and spiritual resources.
Information for the Family
Hospice care plans often provide educational services for the family of the terminally ill loved one. The hospice team will work to help teach the family how to care for their loved one safely and effectively. This may include demonstrating how to manage wound care and bandage changing, as well as how to help their loved one bathe or administer medications.
Pain Management
While an in-home hospice patient may not forgo their medical treatment, they will still require pain management to relieve them of the discomfort associated with their terminal illness. Pain management is one of the primary goals of hospice care, as it aims to maximize the patient’s quality of life during each stage of their illness.
The hospice care team will work to determine the right balance between pain relief and the ability to be coherent and comfortable. Pain management includes combating end-of-life symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, anxiety, constipation, swelling, insomnia, and other unpleasant sensations.
Medication Requirements
The hospice team will pay close attention to medication requirements as the individual’s condition progresses. In the early stages of hospice, medications may be added to satisfy the needs of the individual. However, as the final days approach and the individual’s metabolism changes, the need for some medications will naturally reduce, and additional pain management may be increased.
H3: Hygiene Assistance
When a person is suffering from a terminal illness, they often lose the ability to care for their hygiene. Being unable to bathe, groom, change, or use the toilet on your own can lead to embarrassment, shame, and guilt for the individual. In-home hospice care ensures that no one feels like a burden by offering discreet and dignified hygiene assistance. This may include toileting, grooming, oral hygiene, or dressing assistance.
H3: Supportive Therapies
An individual being cared for through in-home hospice services will typically require supportive therapies that enable them to maximize their quality of life. These supporting resources include physical, occupational, or speech therapies.
Emotional and Spiritual Support
The individual and their family will be given a wealth of emotional and spiritual support during this time of grief and loss. Family members will often experience distress prior to losing their loved one, and it can be a challenging emotion to face alone. The hospice care team will provide support and resources to help the family and individual navigate this complex experience in the most peaceful and comforting way.
A caregiver may fulfill household needs so the family can spend quality time with their loved one during their final days. The hospice care plan can also include grief counseling, support groups, written materials, telephone calls, and home visits.
Bereavement Counseling
Hospice support may continue after the passing of your loved one. Bereavement counseling and check-ins are available to the family to ensure they receive the empathy, compassion, and support they need to continue their lives while grieving in a healthy way.
Loving Companionship
A hospice care team is comprised of caring individuals trained to handle the heavy emotions that accompany end-of-life journeys. The hospice care team members strive to provide more than just services, as they offer unwavering support and companionship to terminally ill individuals and their families throughout the entire process. Loving companionship changes the trajectory of this experience, allowing everyone involved to feel fulfilled and understood during their time of need.
Choosing In-Home Hospice Care
Pursuing in-home hospice care is a decision that can never be made overnight. At Placita In Home Care, we help the families of loved ones suffering from terminal illnesses see the benefits of trusting trained professionals to assist them during their time of need. In-home hospice care transforms a tragic time into an experience with positive memories and relationship-building components that alter how you will remember your loved one for the better. Contact the compassionate care team at Placita In Home Care today to get more information on our in-home hospice care services.