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Understanding Hospice Care: Terminal Illness Management with Hospice Services
Imagine what you would do if your loved one diagnosed with a terminal illness had 6 months or less to live. Eventually, you will accept your fate, but before that, you will focus on providing the best care to your loved one. You know that a cure is inevitable, yet you aim to give someone the best life they deserve. And that’s where hospice care comes into play.
In the era of misinformation, various misconceptions about hospice care are widespread. As a result, end-of-life care at home is difficult for many families. They have a hard time comprehending when their loved one needs hospice care services, the role of hospice, and so on. Although we have a brief idea of the levels of hospice, many families continue to be oblivious to the services included in this form of homecare.
That’s why in today’s blog, we will discuss the hospice care definition, the types of patients included in the care, and finally, the hospice care services included.
Hospice Care Definition
Hospice care focuses on the quality of life of individuals approaching the end of their lives. The specialized care aims to treat the symptom rather than the disease itself, focusing on maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort. The hospice care providers at home provide all the care needed to meet the needs of loved ones with dignity.
It starts when the terminal illness leaves an individual with no more than 6 months to live. Therefore, the family members focus on providing the best lives for their loved ones in the remaining days. The aim is to manage the symptoms and provide the best quality of life in the final days. As a result, the loved one is surrounded by an extra layer of care and protection from emotional damage. This helps the loved one to be in comfort for the remaining day and be with the family.
What kind of Diseases Need Hospice Care?
Hospice care needs a holistic approach to provide relief to an individual diagnosed with a terminal illness. With hospice care at home, the loved one manages pain and gets emotional relief with strong support from their loved ones.
Let’s learn about the various common diseases that require diagnoses from healthcare professionals. This holistic care can be provided by caregivers who are experts in managing pain symptoms and working to provide relief for the symptoms.
Here is a list of common diseases that require hospice care:
Cancer
It is one of the most deadly diseases that can relapse at any time. When someone is in the last stage of cancer, the individual requires hospice care to get relief from the pain symptoms. The medical team realizes that cancer treatments are no longer effective and that therapies do not work anymore. This happens when the individual needs hospice care to improve the quality of life and receive medical, psychological, and spiritual support.
Dementia
Certain kinds of dementia or memory issues, like Alzheimer’s disease and much more, cannot be reversed. The symptoms, such as forgetfulness, hallucinations, and much more, cannot be stopped, but the progression can be reduced to some extent with hospice care. The caregivers help families understand what to expect in the last stage of the illness.
Lung diseases
Someone with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) brings on lung distress like shortness of breath, fatigue, pain, and so on. Therefore, in the severe stage, the individual with lung disease can reach a point where they need hospice care. With such home care services, the caregivers help to reduce hospital readmissions, improve the quality of life, and relieve the families from carrying out caregiving tasks. The sole aim is to help loved ones spend their remaining days in peace and comfort with the family.
Heart diseases
Cardiac diseases without timely treatment can cause deaths. Besides, when the individual is in the last stage of certain heart diseases, causing fatigue, pain, breathlessness, and so on, it causes a threat to the heart and body. Consequently, an individual needs hospice care for that.
Stroke
Many cardiovascular diseases or heart diseases cause strokes, where the blood flow to the brain stops and, as a result, the brain dies. However, when the individual survives a stroke, the brain damage may cause total loss of bodily functions. As a result, the individual is unable to carry out daily tasks. In such a case, hospice care providers help individuals and assist them with the activities of daily living.
Services Included in Hospice Care
Being diagnosed with a terminal illness and living with it can be extremely difficult. It can be challenging for loved ones and their family members who struggle to understand the illness and the outcomes of it. Even though one cannot predict the future, one works harder to provide a better quality of life.
While aiming to relieve an individual from distress and pain, the focus is on attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. In the following, Trinity Medical Staffing Agency gives you a glimpse of how caregivers would help you during times of terminal illness.
Here is the list of services mentioned:
- Pain management
- Symptom management
- 24/7 caregiver available
- Respite care
- Providing physical care at home
- Offering emotional needs
- Compassionate care
- Spiritual counseling
- Improving the quality of life
- Providing peace and comfort
- Helping families and loved ones understand the illness
- Bereavement support for the families
- Medication management
Hospice is not about giving up but about choosing to live with dignity and love until the end. There are many cases where hospice has increased the lifespan during a terminal illness. So, it is all about living till the last breath, positively and hopefully.
With the help of our team of experienced and qualified experts in international staffing, we will manage your needs from initial contact to the final contract.
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