Hospice Care At Home In Lincoln Village City, California
The patient’s home is where the great bulk of hospice care is administered to patients. More than one-third of hospice care is delivered to patients in the comfort of their own homes, according to research that was just published by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Since many patients desire to receive hospice care in the familiar surroundings of their own homes, it is a natural question to wonder how to best prepare a home for hospice care in the event that it becomes necessary.
How to Get Ready for Hospice at Home
Not only do families that are more prepared for the process of getting their house ready for hospice care make it simpler for themselves, but they also might make it less stressful for their loved one who is terminally ill. Along these same lines, research has indicated that loved ones and caregivers are more likely to experience anxiety and depression as a result of not being prepared, as well as have a difficult time coping with the loss of a loved one.
Because being prepared is of the utmost significance, it is critical to have a conversation with the hospice care provider and the patient’s care team in order to compile a list of the things that must be done in order to get the patient’s home ready for hospice care. At this stage, the hospice worker and other members of the care team would most likely be interested in learning additional information regarding the patient’s home environment. This is done in order to gain a better understanding of the steps that need to be taken in order to provide the patient with the highest possible level of care.
In order to get the house ready for hospice care, the two most important things that need to be done are (1) ensuring that the carers are prepared, and (2) ensuring that the patient is comfortable.
Preparing the Caregiver
Despite the fact that hospice care is administered in the patient’s own home, it is essential to determine whether or not the patient’s living circumstances will enable caregivers to assist the hospice patient in the most effective manner feasible. It is not anticipated that a private residence will be converted into a medical facility. Instead, the home should be organized in a way that makes it simple for carers to perform their duties while fostering a sense of security in the patient. When making a person’s house ready for hospice care, the following are some of the most critical considerations that person should give some thought to.
Make the home easy for both the patient and the caregiver to get to.
During hospice care, a person’s home can be a comforting place and a way to help others. So, just like in a healthcare center or long-term care facility, living rooms will have to be safe and easy for both the patient and the caregiver to get to. So, a home should have enough space for the patient to move around, and the patient should be able to move around the house safely. A patient may need help walking for a number of reasons. So, there shouldn’t be anything dangerous in the home’s walkways. If needed, it should also have grab bars and other things that make it easier for people to move around without falling. If a patient has trouble moving around on their own and doing daily tasks, they may need to be extra careful in the bathroom, which can be dangerous (ADLs).
Not only should there be a safe place for a patient to move around and for caregivers to do their jobs, but there should also be thought given to any medical equipment that might be needed while services are being given. The goal of giving patients a safe place to move around should happen at the same time. It’s important to think about the possibility that the new patient might need special medical equipment to take a shower or move around the house. As was already said, there shouldn’t be anything in the patient’s home that could get in the way. It should be set up so that the patient, their caregivers, and any medical equipment they need can move around easily.
Find a good spot for a bed.
If it is anticipated that the patient will spend the majority of their time in bed, it is essential to find a location for their bed that is not only simple to access but also appealing to the eye. Patients can receive care that is both more secure and less difficult when they are placed in a hospital bed. Additionally, it can assist the patient in dressing themselves and make it much simpler for them to access their bed. If a patient has difficulty getting into and out of a regular bed, a hospital bed may be able to assist them in receiving care in a manner that is both safer and easier.
A hospital bed is roughly the same size as a regular twin bed and features a head and foot that can be adjusted independently of one another. The bed is typically mobile and equipped with bed rails that can be configured in a variety of different configurations to ensure the patient’s safety. When selecting a location for a hospital bed, it is essential to take into consideration the activities that will take place in the immediate vicinity of the bed, how simple it will be to access the bed, and whether or not any necessary medical equipment must be located nearby.
Because of how important ease of use, comfort, and safety are, it may be difficult to locate a good spot in a private home in which hospice care will be provided in which a bed can be placed. Additionally, it may be challenging to convince a patient to stop sleeping in their own bed, and the layout of a house may not always make it possible to position a hospital bed in a location where it is convenient for the patient as well as their caregivers to access it. This is especially important to keep in mind if the bed is elevated by no more than a few steps above the floor.
Patient Comfort
The purpose of hospice care is to provide patients with the highest possible level of comfort while they are battling a condition that will ultimately result in their death. This is the fundamental philosophy that underpins hospice care. Therefore, it is important to make the patient’s home as cozy as is humanly possible. Even though hospice care is provided in the patient’s home, it is important to keep in mind that the patient’s home environment should be a place that strikes a balance between being a place where the patient can receive medical care and being a place where the patient feels most at ease and at home. This is especially true if the patient is receiving hospice care. In many ways, this is a balancing act between the need for caretakers to create an environment that is safe and workable and the need for an environment that is calm and pleasant. Both of these aspects are essential.
How it appears, how it sounds, and how it feels
The majority of homes are busy, noisy, and stinky places where a lot of activity takes place. People will enter and exit the house, doors will be opened and closed, there is a possibility that the television or radio will be on, and appliances will be utilized when there are a lot of people living there. Because it gives them the impression that their lives are returning to normal, some people may find it comforting to watch the typical activities taking place around a house. This is because it gives them the impression that their lives are returning to normal.
On the other hand, some patients who spend most of their time at home might feel uncomfortable there. Because of this, it is important to pay attention to what the patient wants and what will make them feel the most comfortable. Make sure your windows have enough covering or shade. This is especially important for people who have to stay in bed for a long time. Since a bedridden patient will spend most of the day in the same place, it is important to make sure that sunlight and any other artificial light from outside can be blocked if needed. This will keep the person from getting too much sun and keep them from being restless at night.
People who are healthy can handle changes in their homes’ temperatures, but people who are on drugs may be more sensitive to changes in temperature. People who are near the end of their lives may be sensitive to sudden temperature changes. If the patient isn’t comfortable in a normal room, it’s important to make sure they have access to a fan or heater.
Items of Convenience
There are many things in a person’s home that can make them feel happy and at ease, like a comfy chair, a warm blanket, or the “go-to” snacks that are always in the cupboard. One of the most important parts of hospice care is making sure the patient is comfortable. To reach this goal, patients can be given things that are usually thought of as belonging in a home. Even if a patient has to spend most of their time in bed, sitting in their favorite chair can still help them. Also, if the patient’s dietary needs allow it, they should be able to eat the same things they do at home. Giving patients the same comforts they have at home can make them feel more at home in a place that might look like a temporary hospital.
If you have any questions about how to get the patient’s home ready for hospice care, it is best to talk to the patient’s hospice provider and care team. More and more often, hospice care is given in the patient’s home. After the caretaker’s worries are taken care of, the family and friends of a hospice patient can do a great thing by trying to make the patient as comfortable as possible in their home. Melodia Care Hospice can tell you what you need to do to get your home ready for hospice care.
