Why Is Home an Ideal Environment for Hospice Patients?
Home is where the heart is. This expression isn’t simply a cliché. Home is where we experience the most important moments of our lives, celebrate holidays, welcome family and friends around our dinner table, raise our children, and much more. As we age, home is also the place we seek out for refuge, comfort, and stability.
Studies suggest that most Americans want to age at home. The majority of Americans also prefer home for end-of-life care. Home offers peace and quiet. It’s an easy place for loved ones to gather and show support. Home is comfortable, familiar, and a place that stores many memories.
Today, in-home hospice care teams who understand the value of receiving care at home deliver extraordinary care for loved ones during this phase of life. They’ve done the research, listened to patients and families, and will provide an experience to make home hospice care a meaningful and compassionate service for those who need it.
What Is Hospice Care at Home?
Understanding what the home hospice benefit provides is the first step in understanding why hospice care at home is preferred by patients today. These all-encompassing services make receiving hospice at home as easy as possible for both your loved one and your family:
- 24/7 on-call nursing
- Scheduled hospice aides for personal care
- Social workers who provide resources and support
- A chaplain for spiritual counseling
- All medications, supplies, and equipment related to the life-limiting illness
- Bereavement services, including check-ins for up to 15 months after your loved one has passed
- Trained volunteers to provide additional emotional support
- Short-term respite care in a long-term care facility to relieve caregivers
From personalized nursing care to spiritual support, bereavement counseling, and the help of community volunteers, in-home hospice care anticipates and covers the many needs that families experience during this time.
What Are the Benefits of Home Hospice Care?
Hospice services are comprehensive. They meet the many different kinds of needs that arise while a loved one receives care at home. Whether there’s an emergency in the night, a desire for spiritual guidance, or a quick errand needs to be done, hospice services provide coverage, so loved ones don’t need to leave their homes, and families always have someone to turn to.
The decision to remain at home and receive care from a comprehensive team, including nurses, aides, and other skilled team members, prevents your loved one from the challenges of having to visit the ER or hospital, which can be stressful and taxing.
Hospice care in the home also allows your loved one to focus on and experience a higher quality of life than in other settings. Your loved one can receive care and receive visitors in their own bed or their favorite chair. The creature comforts of home, including television, favorite foods, and hobbies are readily available. Family members and friends can make convenient visits to a place they know well.
Home hospice puts the emphasis on choice and comfort, which helps your loved one feel empowered, respected, and dignified at this part of their life’s journey.
What Families Say About Hospice Care at Home
The best testament to in-home hospice care is what those who have experienced it have to say about this service. These testimonials from family members in Kansas and Missouri speak volumes about the benefits of receiving this form of care in the comfort of home:
“Every single staff member was compassionate, reputable, and went out of their way for my loved one the last three months. This allowed dignity and comfort as their end of life slowly approached. Each staff member became a friend to my dear loved one, while maintaining the most professional manner, supporting the family’s needs as well. I know these workers are regular human beings, moms, brothers, etc., but I feel like they were angels keeping my loved one as comfortable as possible in their own home.” – C.M.V., St. Louis, MO
“We received home hospice care for my mom’s end-of-life care. The team did a phenomenal job. The social worker was a huge help, offering significant relief to our family. The nurses were caring and very communicative. The bereavement coordinator has been wonderful to talk with, too. His check-in texts and letters always find me when I need them most.” – Tommy S., Overland Park, KS
“Our chosen hospice team was available quickly and responded to our needs ASAP. Once we knew that Mom was coming to our home to live out the rest of her wonderful and glorious life, the team stepped up and got the necessary equipment delivered to our home. Then, our nurse contacted us and let us know when we could expect her at our home. She was able to stop and get our mom’s medications that would be needed, and arrived at our house. Once she was here, she answered lots of questions for us to help ease our minds, assuring us that we made the best decision for our mother to be placed in our home to live out her time. The care and level of concern shown to us by the team was superb.” – Christine G., Wichita, KS
When Hospice Is the Next Step, Choose Trusted Home Hospice Care
When a physician orders in-home hospice care and your loved one wishes to focus on symptom and pain management for their life-limiting illness, you have a solution to rely on.
However, not every hospice care team will suffice. Home hospice was created to address your loved one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. You must ensure you’ve chosen a team that is committed to compassionate care for your loved one as a whole person. The power of hospice at home reveals its full value with a team that can deliver this service well.
Look for a team that:
- Treats each patient as the unique individual they are.
- Offers hospice’s comprehensive benefits and services.
- Adds extra touches like pamper care.
- Exceeds expectations by raising the standard of care.
Continue learning about hospice care at home, starting with these three articles:
