Make the Most of This Important Time With Our Suggestions
When you and your loved one are ready to choose a hospice team, you want to ensure you’ve made the best choice for your loved one’s needs. Your loved one deserves to feel comfortable and cared for as they begin this new chapter at home.
Hospice is a critical time for your family as a whole. You should also consider how you’ll manage this challenging, emotional situation in advance.
These three suggestions will help you provide for your loved one and your family:
- Find a hospice team with strong values and a reputation for exceeding expectations.
- Make a plan for how your family will show care for your loved one.
- Take advantage of the services that hospice provides for families.
Qualities To Look for in a Home Hospice Care Team
When it’s time for your loved one to receive hospice care at home, you’re inviting a health care team into your loved one’s life for physical, emotional, and spiritual support. You don’t want to leave this task to just any hospice provider in your area.
Look for a team with these attributes to help your loved one receive excellent care. The team should have:
- Patience with you, your family, and your loved one during this difficult time.
- Honesty and integrity as they communicate with you and care for your loved one.
- Compassion and understanding for your loved one.
- The full range of hospice services, including a dedicated RN case manager; medical equipment, supplies, and medications; 24/7 on-call nursing; social workers; bereavement support; a home health aide; visits from a chaplain; extended bereavement support; and more.
Look for a home hospice care provider who treats your loved one with dignity and has the resources to cover everything you need. Your loved one’s comfort and care come first, and making an informed choice about your hospice provider makes a difference.
How Your Family Can Help Your Loved One While Receiving Home Hospice Care
Your family may be unsure about the role you play while your loved one receives hospice care. You want to leave your loved one’s care to the experts, yet you also want to participate as fully as possible.
Your hospice team is always available to answer questions and address situations that may arise. However, they will not be at your home 24/7. Knowing how you’ll fill in those times is helpful, as developing solutions on the spot may be challenging.
These questions will help determine how you’ll remain involved in your loved one’s care during hospice:
- Who will be the main point-of-contact with your hospice provider?
- How will your family stay on the same page about your loved one’s needs and wishes?
- Outside of medical care, what additional care needs does your loved one have? Who will meet these needs?
- Who in your family will provide personal care when your hospice home health aide isn’t visiting?
- When a family member provides care, who will look after their needs or responsibilities in their own homes?
- Who in your family is available and flexible to handle sudden errands or emergencies?
- Do you plan on letting relatives and friends visit your loved one? Who will communicate with them?
- Are there any special holidays, birthdays, or remembrance projects you’d like to see happen during hospice? Who will plan these?
Consider these questions as part of finding a provider of hospice care at home. The more you plan, the more quality time you’ll be able to spend with your loved one during hospice.
How Your Family Benefits From Home Hospice Care Services
As you choose your hospice care provider, know that your family can also receive support. Hospice helps your loved one as a “whole person,” as well as the whole family. Family benefits include:
- Respite care to help you rest and take a break from caregiving.
- Social workers to encourage you and help manage difficult emotions.
- Extended bereavement support after your loved one passes.
Ask your chosen hospice care provider how they care for your family. They should mention these benefits for family members, so you can get reassurance that this provider has you in mind during the challenges ahead.
Families Choose Phoenix for Home Hospice Care
Phoenix Home Care & Hospice is your community’s most trusted provider of hospice care. We offer the essential qualities and characteristics that help your loved one and family feel cared for.
Patience, honesty, and compassion guide our services. We provide complete hospice benefits that your loved one and family need. We listen, understand, and act to make your loved one comfortable and give you peace of mind and unwavering support.
Call Phoenix today at (855) 881-7442, or contact us online to learn more about the ways we can support you and your loved one.
