People often have a slew of different questions when it comes to hospice care. After all, it’s not often talked about, and many people don’t think about it until they absolutely have to.
One of the more common questions that we get is how long people stay under hospice care. And while this question may seem rather simple, the answer is actually quite complex. To help you better understand this, read on as we discuss various circumstances regarding hospice care.
What Is Hospice Care?
Before we dive into this question, let’s first define what hospice care is. To put it simply, it is a special kind of care that focuses on the quality of life for people who are afflicted with a life-limiting illness. The central goal is to make patient’s lives as comfortable as possible during their last remaining days.
This type of care is designed in a way wherein the patient’s physical, social, and spiritual needs are all met. This is why the care providers make it a point to involve the families in all decisions made regarding the patient. Teams of professionals work night and day to ensure that patients pass as peacefully as possible.
How Is Hospice Care Different From Palliative Care?
Now, we’ve already discussed the difference between palliative care and hospice care. However, to better answer this question, it’s necessary to revisit some points mentioned in that article.
While both types of care aim to provide compassionate comfort for patients, the main difference lies in the severity of the illness. Palliative care centers on managing the symptoms of a person living with a serious disease. On the other hand, hospice care is geared towards helping people feel comfortable at the last phase of their life. Patients qualify for hospice care if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less.
How Long Do Patients Stay Under Hospice Care?
This is a question that’s rather difficult to answer as it widely differs from case to case. Considering that this type of care will last until the patient passes, it’s hard to pin down an exact number of days, weeks, or months. However, for the sake of simplicity, we do have statistics that can help explain things better.
What people need to understand is that people stay in hospice care for a significant amount of time. In fact, around 12 to 15% of patients tend to live for six months or longer, while 50% pass within three weeks. Patients under 65 years of age are more likely to survive longer, while those admitted to hospice care directly from a long-term stay in a hospital are 95% likely to pass within six months.
Conclusion
We hope this information proves to be helpful when it comes to understanding hospice care. While it’s supposed to be end-of-life treatment, the length of a patient’s stay differs depending on the situation and their overall wellbeing. At the end of the day, the length of their stay matters very little as hospice care facilities are dedicated to making sure the lives of the patients are as comfortable as possible.
If you’re looking for options for hospice care, Bridge Home Health and Hospice is the best option. Our experienced clinicians and therapists are more than capable of providing your loved ones with the highest quality home-based patient care that’s built around the overall respect for human dignity. For more information on our services, contact us today!
