If you knew that a much better quality of life could be achieved for a loved one, you would not hesitate to explore that option. Yet one of the most beneficial forms of care – hospice care – is one that family members shy away from, as a result of a number of misconceptions.
Hospice is meant to help someone with a life-limiting illness find respite from pain along with other difficult symptoms, while obtaining comfort, emotional, and spiritual support. Hospice care is provided 24 hours a day, both for the individual needing care as well as members of the family.
Here are some of the top myths and the real facts you need to know about hospice care:
Hospice is just needed during the very end of life. Many people mistakenly assume that hospice services are for a person’s final days, when the truth is, the earlier hospice care is started, the better. The hospice care team and the doctor will continue to monitor and modify the person’s prognosis ongoing, either discharging the individual from hospice if improvement is noted, or re-certifying as needed.
Someone can no longer receive medical treatment while on hospice. Although it is correct that typically aggressive treatments that will not result in a cure are stopped, the objective of hospice care is to help a person with pain and symptom management. Treatments that will improve the person’s comfort are a fundamental element of hospice care.
Hospice takes place in a facility or at a hospital. Hospice care is offered wherever the person and loved ones wish. In-home hospice care is readily available for people who decide to remain at home for a lifetime, or in a facility setting if preferred. Whatever the living arrangement, hospice care is brought to the person – bypassing the requirement to go out to doctors’ appointments.
Hospice care is a holistic approach to meeting the needs of the person receiving the care, as well as his / her loved ones. Getting started with care as soon as possible allows maximum time to receive the resources, comfort, and support necessary for the most peaceful transition possible.
For answers to any other questions regarding hospice care, contact The Care Company, a top provider of home care help in the Greater Toronto area, at (416) 422-2273. We can share some further helpful information in regards to the benefits associated with hospice care, and provide you with an in-home consultation to talk about the options that are available to you.