When someone you love is nearing the end of life, it’s never easy. Knowing when and how to begin hospice care, though, can help ease the transition.
If a friend or family member is diagnosed with a serious medical condition, such as cancer or heart disease, the first step is usually to find the most appropriate way of treating that condition. But when a loved one’s medical condition is terminal or someone you love is simply nearing the natural end of life, further treatment may not be helpful.
That’s where hospice comes into play. This specialized type of medical care is designed for those at the end of life and provides support services to both patients and their loved ones.
Who can benefit from hospice?
Any person of any age can benefit from hospice if they’re at the end of life. Hospice care is recommended for those with a life expectancy of six months or less.
While hospice is often seen as a service for older adults, this type of care isn’t specifically for any age group. It’s for anyone nearing the end of life as diagnosed by a medical provider.
When a person enrolls in hospice, the patient receives a number of services to benefit physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing is also available for the family members and other loved ones of the hospice patient.
What are signs my loved one may be ready for hospice?
Even if someone you love has been given a terminal diagnosis, you may still wonder whether it’s time for hospice. Some telltale signs may help you identify when it’s time:
- The patient desires to stay out of the hospital as his or her condition worsens.
- The patient has multiple comorbidities, meaning more than one chronic medical condition.
- The patient has no further curative or restorative treatment options or is choosing not to move forward with additional treatment.
- The patient has required repeated trips to the emergency room in recent months.
- The patient increasingly needs more help with tasks of daily living.
- The patient is experiencing increasing life-limiting pain that’s difficult to treat.
- The patient is experiencing unintentional weight loss.
- The patient is sleeping more often and experiencing fatigue not alleviated by rest.
While these are all noticeable signs that your loved one is worsening and may need extra care, there are other signs, too. The basic rule of thumb is that if your loved one is no longer receiving curative treatment and your loved one or your family could use additional support and care, it may be time to call hospice.
Stepping into hospice care isn’t an end. If your loved one chooses to enter hospice care but later decides to pursue additional curative treatment options, it’s possible to exit the hospice program. Hospice also doesn’t end if your loved one lives past the six-month mark—hospice services continue as long as they are required and the patient’s condition is still considered terminal.
How can hospice help our family?
Enrolling in hospice allows patients to access a number of services designed to help them maintain quality of life. How is that possible if curative treatment isn’t provided while a patient is in hospice?
Think of it this way: Hospice care provides comfort, not a cure. Our team of hospice providers is here to offer patients and their families comprehensive services to ease the journey through the end stages of life. That includes providing treatment to relieve pain and alleviate other symptoms.
There are multiple levels of hospice care, and the level of care your loved one receives will shift as his or her needs do. Most care can be provided in the home setting, but hospice care can shift into a hospice facility or a hospital when more intensive care is needed.
Hospice care also encompasses respite care, a type of care that’s designed to care for the caregiver. Respite care is provided on a temporary basis in a setting outside the home, such as a hospice facility, to give family members and other caregivers a brief respite from providing care.
Family members can also access other services, including advance care planning and grief support, both during the patient’s life and afterward. We even offer specialized grief support for children, including our Camp Braveheart program.
When it’s time to walk through the end stages of life, we all deserve support. That’s why we’re here—offering hospice services to support the patient and the patient’s family. When all signs indicate that it’s time for a loved one to enter hospice care, don’t hesitate to call.
Learn more
Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center partners with you and your family to provide excellent care and enhance your quality of life. Call 770-219-8888 or visit our website for more information about how we can help.