Hospice Care
Hospice services often include hospice nursing services where a skilled nurse will help administer medications and help the patient with any discomfort. There are different levels of hospice care, but the most common type of hospice care is called “routine home care”, where the team provides their services at the patient’s home (this can be a nursing home or a private residence). Other levels of hospice support include acute care, where the team will go to the hospital (if the patient doesn’t have a counselor or the appropriate medical staff) as well as a hospice house, which serves as a home-like haven for patients receiving hospice care.
Don’t delay contacting a hospice facility – it’s never too early to find out what type of hospice support and services are available. One of the most common misconceptions about hospice support is that this type of care is only for the last few weeks of the patient’s life. This is very far from the truth – patients at various stages of their illnesses make use of hospice care. It can also happen that a patient receives hospice nursing care for a brief period of time and then resumes hospice care after their condition worsens.
What to consider before choosing hospice care
Decisions regarding end-of-life care are hard to make. Here’s what to consider before choosing hospice care:
- Does the patient need hospice care or palliative care? Although both hospice care and palliative care aim to minimize discomfort, reduce stress and provide medical as well as psychological care, hospice care does not follow a curative course. With palliative care, the symptoms of the disease are often still treated in hospital (or by a team of doctors and physicians provided by the hospice facility). With hospice services, the patient is commonly still cared for at the patient’s residence or their nursing home.
- What type of support is provided for the family? When a person finds out they have a life-limiting disease, this person (as well as their family and loved ones) experience various emotional stresses. Certain hospice facilities provide bereavement services so that families and individuals can receive guidance, support and hope to individuals and families. Some hospices (such as the VNA Hospice) also offer support groups to help survivors through the various stages of grief and to help families adjust to life without their loved one.
- Expert care: Find out how long the hospice facility has been providing both at-home hospice nursing care as well as palliative care. Speak to the consultation team at the hospice to find out what type of quality-of-life improvements, medical and nursing staff, caregivers, medications, supplies and other type of support they will be able to give to the patient.
When you find out that a loved one has a life-limiting illness, contact a hospice nursing home or hospice facility. The team at VNA can offer the most help when there is sufficient time to develop a relationship with the patient, family and caregiver. Take a courtesy visit by VNA Hospice to determine if hospice is an appropriate option.
