In-Home Hospice Nursing Care
At West Michigan Hospice, we’re dedicated to providing a high level of in-home comfort care for each and every client. This wouldn’t be possible without help from our team of knowledgeable, compassionate hospice nurses. They’re the backbone of all we do, and we know you’d be blessed to work with any of them.
What is In-Home Hospice Nursing Care?
In-home nursing care is exactly what it sounds like: nursing care provided within a patient’s home. It can include a number of in-home health services, depending on what the patient’s specific condition requires. It’s a more convenient type of care, and is just as effective as care provided in a hospital or other skilled nursing facility when the goal is chronic symptom management.
In-home nursing is an integral part of hospice care. At West Michigan Hospice, our hospice nurses work to ensure personable, high-quality, in-home chronic disease management services for each of our patients. They provide a number of hospice services, communicate with families, coordinate with other healthcare professionals, and offer companionship in a time of great need.
Start Your In-Home Hospice Care Journey With Us
This is one of the most common questions about hospice care that we receive, and it can be the most difficult to answer! Every medical condition is unique, and therefore requires a different frequency and level of care.
Most hospice patients have 1-hour visits with a nurse 2-3 times per week. However, as their condition changes over time, those visits could become more or less frequent. Once you or your loved one has enrolled in hospice care and been evaluated, your hospice provider will be able to give you a more exact estimate.
Hospice nurses have many responsibilities during in-home visits. While services can heavily vary based on specific patient needs, a typical visit includes the following:
- Assess patient health through metrics like blood pressure, respiration rate, temperature, etc.
- Manage symptoms of the patient’s chronic condition
- Observe and document changes in the patient’s chronic condition
- Deliver and administer any medications or durable medical equipment, as necessary
- Coordinate referrals to other healthcare providers, as necessary
- Communicate and create a plan with family to manage changes in the patient’s condition
- Spend quiet time talking, reading, or playing board games with the patient
At West Michigan Hospice, our hospice nurses go above and beyond to ensure a great quality of life for you or your loved one. They’re committed to knowing each patient by name and making beautiful, long lasting memories with them. We like to think of ourselves like family, except we won’t talk politics.
No, hospice patients are not required to be homebound. They’re still able (and encouraged!) to go out, visit family and friends, attend church, and take short trips!
It’s also important to note that hospice services can be provided just about anywhere. While they’re most commonly provided within a patient’s own home, they can also be provided in nursing homes or other skilled nursing facilities.
No, hospice nurses aren’t present 24/7 in you or your loved one’s home. However, you do have 24/7 access to them if you or your loved one has any immediate issues. At West Michigan Hospice, we provide our patients and their families with a phone number to call and speak with an on-call nurse, even if it’s the middle of the night.
Have More Questions About Hospice Care
Contact Our Team
If you have more questions relating to hospice care for yourself or for a loved one, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re just a phone call away at (616) 258-2680, or you can contact us online. You may also visit our FAQs page for more information.