When your loved one is struggling with a life-limiting condition, it can be challenging to determine the best form of care for them. If you’ve exhausted all treatment options or if those treatment options are no longer working, you may be considering hospice care — but before you make the call, you might have a few questions about it.
Let’s talk about the goal of hospice care, as well as what to expect from it.
What’s the Goal of Hospice Care?
The goal of hospice care is to manage the symptoms of a chronic condition, rather than cure the condition itself. Hospice provides patients support that’s focused on managing symptoms at home and promoting a better quality of life.
Hospice services offer physical, cognitive, emotional, and spiritual support for patients, as well as grief and bereavement counseling for their families. The hospice care teams that provide these services are full of skilled, compassionate professionals who are committed to guiding patients and their families through the process 24/7, 365 days of the year.
This focus on caring, not curing is what makes hospice different from other forms of care, such as intensive treatments or palliative care.
What to Expect from Hospice Care — An Overview
Hospice care is most often provided in-home, but can also take place in an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. Your loved one will first receive a hospice physician’s assessment and personalized care plan that determines which hospice services they will receive, which could be any or all of the following:
- Chronic pain management
- Hospice physician services
- Hospice nursing
- Medical social work
- Personal care aides
- Spiritual care
- Bereavement counseling
- Durable medical equipment
- Volunteer services
Throughout the duration of your loved one’s care, you’ll have 24/7 access to your hospice care manager, who is available to answer any questions you have and provide you with reassurance about the support and services your loved one is receiving. And, although hospice nurses don’t typically provide 24/7 at-home care, there is always a nurse on call to help with any emergencies — even in the middle of the night.
Finally, it’s good to know that hospice services are 100% covered by Medicare/Medicaid. Not only does this include costs associated with the team of individuals providing care, but also any costs associated with medications or durable medical equipment.
Is Choosing Hospice Care Like Giving Up On My Loved One?
This is a question that we often receive from caregivers considering hospice care for their loved one. It’s common for doctors and families to put off hospice care because they see it as “giving up” — but with that perspective, they’re missing out on offering their loved one a better quality of life.
Hospice care isn’t just end-of-life care. In fact, hospice services can be provided for years. Although choosing hospice means opting to forgo curative treatments, it also means opting for a more comfortable, peaceful way of life. And by choosing that, you’re giving your loved one (and yourself!) the opportunity to enjoy more of life’s beautiful moments.
Get Quality-Of-Life Care at West Michigan Hospice
If your loved one has a serious, life-limiting condition, there are a few different care options available to them — from intensive treatments to palliative care or hospice care. At West Michigan Hospice, we’re focused on quality-of-life care that ensures your loved one receives the support they need to live as comfortably and peacefully as possible. To learn more about hospice care and the support it can offer, give us a call at (616) 258-2680 or contact us online.