About Hospice Care
Hospice is a specially designed healthcare system that aims to provide comfort and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families, when their bodies are no longer responding to cure-oriented treatments. Hospice care is provided by well-qualified and skilled health professionals of the Inter-Disciplinary Team they collectively work on patient’s care with a unique focus on patient’s needs and wants. The terminally ill patients are given the opportunity to live their end-of-life period with satisfaction and contentment that they do not need to worry anymore about themselves and their illness. Overall, hospice care can help you and your family go through the complex of social, emotional, financial, spiritual and psychological distress and let you cherish the last days of life with your families.
However, some people often see the end-of-life care plan as giving up on hope and speeding up the end-of-life phase. But if you think practically, this is a false conception; no matter what, death has to occur with or without any hospice care. Indeed, with hospice care, you can get a more organized and well-managed system to provide proper care and support for the terminal illness, which would not be easy to create on your own. In addition, hospice care can lower your burden of medical care, and you could be able to spend your more of your precious time with your family and loved ones.
When Should Hospice Care Start?
Despite all treatments and efforts, your disease worsens day by day and can no longer be treated and cured. Then you know it is the right time to talk to your physician about hospice care. It would be best to ask your physician how much life expectancy your progressive disease condition gives you. If you are expected to live for at least six months or less than six months, you urgently need to have hospice care arranged for you.
Other signs can also alert you for the need of hospice care, like multiple and recurring hospitalizations and emergency conditions desperately requiring the need of the hospital’s emergency room. A clear and visible collapse in health conditions even with advanced medical treatment and vital medications. Severe pain sensations inclusive of diarrhea, vomiting and low oxygen saturation leading to loss of breath. Gradual decline in performing basic daily tasks including eating, speaking, using the toilet or getting dressed. Hence, delaying hospice care would not be beneficial to you when you face such issues frequently. It’s better you take the decision yourself until it’s too late to make a decision on your own.
What Does Hospice Care Provide?
Hospice care provides you with an Inter-Disciplinary Team consisting of physicians, nurses, nursing aid, social workers, chaplains and volunteers to serve your emotional, psychological, social, spiritual and financial needs. They are going to work together to give you the most comfortable care. A hospice physician creates your care plan, supervises your medical conditions and prescribes appropriate medications.
Nurses are on the front line; they help administer medications and follow the physician’s care plan. The certified nursing aides provide assistance to bed-ridden patients in performing routine tasks like brushing, bathing, shaving, changing, cleaning, feeding etc. They are highly useful for your family and they’re there to give you a break from these duties. Then some social workers act as advocates in solving the social, legal, financial and any other issues that you and your family come across during the end-of-life period and even after the patient’s death. Furthermore, the chaplain is responsible for maintaining your internal peace and your family’s by giving spiritual guidance and support.
Hospice care thinks about getting the most out of the end-of-life period and focuses on providing support even after you are no longer in this world to your family as loved ones cannot cope with the loss and are deeply saddened by it. There is consistent bereavement support for them for 13 months or more.
Is Hospice Care The Same As Palliative Care?
Generally, people consider hospice care the same as palliative care, but that’s not the case. Hospice care is only for patients suffering from life-threatening diseases and no longer wanting a curative approach. This happens when doctors have tried their best to cure the condition fully and now no other treatment is available for those patients. In such situations, it gets clear that the treatment needs to be stopped as it is producing no benefit and the patient won’t be able to survive the illness. Such patients are said to be suffering from terminal illnesses and hospice is ideal for them, bringing out the best care and support for their end of life period.
Whereas, palliative care aims to reduce pain and suffering and help with other problems caused by severe diseases or long-term illnesses. It can start at the time of the diagnosis and at the same time as the treatment. Palliative care enhances the current care and provides symptomatic treatment along with the treatment that is needed to cure the illness.
Importance Of Hospice Care
Hospice care is a complete package of care services for patients and families for them to go through the end-of-life phase with utter satisfaction and peace of mind. It completely takes the patient’s responsibility from medications to personal care and also ensures the hygiene and cleanliness of the patient. With the help of healthcare professionals, it also provides physical, emotional, mental and spiritual comfort as well. Hospice care enables you to spend the end-of-life period with great dignity and self-respect and allows you to spend maximum time with your family and loved ones.
Hospice care plays an important role in your advance care planning by honoring your decisions and wishes which define how you want to spend the last days of your life. It can also provide respite care so that your primary caregivers can have a small break for up to 5 days. Hence, it even reduces the medical burden that a family goes through during such phase.
How Melodia Care Hospice Is the Better Option?
Melodia Care Hospice can be highly beneficial for you. It has accreditation from the Joint Commission with certification of trusted road map of high performance. Undoubtedly, Melodia Care has the best available team of highly qualified and certified professionals working effortlessly to provide the best care and support in California for all types of life-limiting patients and families.
Melodia Care Hospice intends to serve terminally ill patients with high-end medical equipment and therapies to make their end of life phase one of the best of their life and allowing patients and families spend meaningful time with each other. The facilities of Melodia Care can be received at your or your loved one’s residence, long-term care facilities or assisting living facilities.