Understand the Many Forms of Care, Comfort, and Support That Hospice Care In the Home Provides
Hospice is a medical benefit that thoroughly cares for you from a physical, emotional, and spiritual perspective. When you elect hospice care, you receive far more than you may have initially expected.
You may have decided that hospice is your next best step, if you:
- Have a life-limiting illness.
- Want to receive care in the comfort of home.
- Don’t want to be hospitalized or visit the emergency room again.
- Want to live without pain or discomfort caused by symptoms of illness or medication side effects.
If this describes your wishes at this phase of life, excellent hospice services can be yours, if you qualify for this benefit. You will find that all your needs are met through this benefit, as well as the needs of your family. Keep reading to discover all the ways that hospice will thoroughly care for you.
An Individualized Plan For Hospice Care
When you choose hospice after a qualifying diagnosis and a doctor’s order, you receive an individualized plan of care. Your hospice team, including a hospice physician and RN case manager, determine your specific needs for hospice care at home.
Selecting a trusted team for hospice care near you provides reassurance that your plan of care will meet your needs. You can feel confident that each professional assigned to your care is dedicated to providing exceptional services.
On-Call Nursing, Medical Supplies, and Personal Care
You deserve the very best care during this phase of life. The following benefits make hospice care at home more comfortable and help you achieve the best quality of life possible:
- On-call nursing: While you receive hospice, you may have a need for on-call nursing, even in the middle of the night. To ensure your needs are attended to, hospice includes 24/7 on-call nursing services.
- Medical supplies: Hospice care also includes the medical equipment and supplies related to your diagnosis. This could include items like a hospital bed, a walker or wheelchair, a bedside commode, catheters and bandages, and other essential items. Your hospice physician can prescribe medications to help relieve your pain and other symptoms related to your life-limiting illness.
- Personal care: Patients receiving hospice care in their homes can also receive personal care, such as bathing, from a hospice aide.
Spiritual Support and Companionship During Hospice
Many hospice patients have questions, thoughts, concerns, and fears about this phase of their life’s journey. A chaplain provides comfort, conversation, and compassion to help you navigate this stage of your life, so you can feel grounded, reassured, and hopeful.
You also may desire companionship and connection with members of your community. A leading provider of hospice near you can also make trained volunteers available to visit with you and provide the meaningful support you require. It is powerful to know that others in your community care about your well-being.
Support For Your Family Is Also Available
Another remarkable truth about hospice is that your family can also receive specific services from a provider of hospice care near you. For example, if you have a family caregiver, respite care can give them a break. You can temporarily receive hospice care outside the home during this time at a facility, such as a nursing home or for up to five days at a time. This allows family caregivers to refresh and reset before returning to their care responsibilities, while giving you reassurance that your family members are taken care of.
In addition, hospice offers bereavement and grief support services for your family. Your family is just as important to your hospice provider, and they ensure that those closest to you feel supported and cared for. Knowing that your family is taken care of can be a big relief.
Full Coverage For the Cost Of Hospice
Both Medicare and Medicaid cover 100% of the costs associated with receiving hospice care. This includes your medical supplies as well. Many private insurance carriers also offer fully covered hospice care. Review your insurance policy for more information and ensure that you qualify for this benefit by contacting a hospice provider.
Because of the generous coverage afforded to hospice patients, opting for this level of care as you begin this phase of life will not create a financial burden or stress for you or your family.
Hospice Care Offers More Than You Might Expect
When you decide that you do not wish to pursue treatment for a life-limiting illness, electing hospice doesn’t mean that you’re giving up. Many people find that hospice increases their feelings of comfort and relief because they are able to remain at home with their medical needs taken care of. Hospice providers often note that patients have many more rich experiences and a higher quality of life after beginning care.
Hospice encompasses much more than what we typically hold in our minds. Having an awareness of how much hospice can help changes our perspective on what to expect, and that can be a priceless benefit as you move into this phase of life.
