What is Hospice?
Hospice care is supportive care that focuses on quality of life for people and their caregivers who are experiencing an advanced, life-limiting illness.
How will I know when it is time for hospice?
A patient does not have to be bedridden or in their final days of life. Hospice care can begin when a doctor decides the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less if the illness follows its usual path. The doctor can recertify the patient for longer periods if your loved one lives beyond six months.
Here are a few signs that it may be time to consider hospice for your loved one:
1. Treatment is no longer working and/or they no longer desire aggressive intervention.
If your loved one has a terminal illness and their goals include comfort, time with loved ones and improved quality of life, hospice care may be the answer. Hospice care focuses on pain relief and symptom management rather than curing the illness.
Some of the most common illnesses in hospice care are:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
- Stroke
- Liver disease
- Kidney failure
- ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
2. Their symptoms are getting harder to manage.
Research shows pain increases in the last two years of life, becoming most intense in the last four months. Uncontrolled pain can lead to other issues, including shortness of breath, restlessness and anxiety. It can also prolong the grieving process for loved ones. If you notice an increase in pain or other difficult symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, trouble swallowing or pressure ulcers that don’t improve with treatment, hospice care may help.
3. They’re visiting the doctor or hospital more often.
Use of the emergency department typically increases as people age, particularly among older adults over 75. Multiple doctor or hospital visits in the last six months can be an important sign of declining health.
4. They need a lot more help than they used to.
Your loved one may need more assistance with personal care activities such as bathing, getting dressed or eating. Or perhaps they were once able to move about independently and now they are using a wheelchair or walker. If they’re not feeling well most of the time or they stopped doing things they used to do, these are indicators they may benefit from hospice services.
5. They often seem confused or restless.
Older adults at the end of life may feel confused or agitated, even combative at times. They may not know where they are or what’s happening around them.
6. They’re less able to communicate.
Decreased circulation, hearing and vision problems, and other issues may affect your aging loved one’s speech and ability to follow conversations. As a result, they may start to withdraw from activities and people they love.
7. They have a decreased appetite or are losing weight for no apparent reason.
Reduced appetite and unexplained weight loss can be signs the body is slowing down or isn’t digesting food properly. They may have trouble swallowing or have diminished ability to benefit from nutritional support.
8. They sleep much of the time.
As part of the body’s process of slowing down, those at end of life may spend more time sleeping. You may notice that they rest in a chair or bed most of the day.
9. They have multiple recurrent infections.
Progression of disease is often displayed by worsening symptoms and recurrent infections such as pneumonia, sepsis or urinary tract infections. You may notice that infections appear more frequently.
10. You’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed as a caregiver.
Your stress levels escalate as your aging parents or loved one needs more help. It is an act of love to admit you need caregiver support and use all the resources available to you to provide them the best care.
11. Hospice may not be right for them yet.
If you feel that hospice may not be the right fit for you or your loved one, but are dealing with a chronic illness, perhaps Bridges Palliative HealthCare is the answer. Bridges can help you manage the stress and symptoms of your illness and/or side effects of treatments. Bridges can also help you stay in your home longer and decrease hospital visits. Our specially-trained team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and specialists come to you. You can be on service regardless of insurance or income status and palliative care is covered by most insurances.
For more information call (833) 795-0113 or visit mybridgeshealth.org.
When should I contact hospice?
Hospice provides the greatest benefit when patients and loved ones seek support earlier rather than in a crisis. The best way to determine if hospice can help is to call us. We can provide an informational visit to discuss the benefits of hospice.
Who pays for hospice?
Hospice care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance providers.
Where is hospice care provided?
Hospice is comfort care brought to patients where they live, whether in a private home, a nursing home, home plus, assisted living community, or residential care facility. Our agency also provides short-term inpatient care at our Hospice Center at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis.
Who can make a referral to hospice?
Anyone associated with the patient can refer to hospice. After the information is received, our staff will contact the patient’s primary physician to verify that the patient is appropriate for hospice. Our goal is to see the patient within hours of the referral.
Who provides hospice care?
Care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals trained to address physical and emotional needs of the patient. The team also supports family members and caregivers. The interdisciplinary team generally consists of:
- The patient’s personal physician
- Hospice physician
- Nurses
- Hospice aides
- Social workers
- Spiritual care providers or other counselors
- Bereavement professionals
- Trained volunteers
What does hospice include?
Nursing visits are regularly scheduled and a registered nurse is available by phone 24/7 to answer questions and address concerns. Also, additional care team members will visit as needed. The interdisciplinary hospice team:
- Manages the patient’s pain and symptoms
- Assists the patient and family with the emotional, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying
- Provides needed drugs, medical supplies, and equipment
- Trains the family on how to care for the patient when hospice staff is not present
- Makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time
- Provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends
To learn more about the benefits of hospice or schedule an information visit, call 800-767-4965.