Typically, hospice is not something that you want your family member to get into. But when the time comes your loved one has an advanced, life-limiting illness, hospice care can make all the difference in taking good care of them. In fact, it can be the most viable option that will allow them to live the best day of their life until their last breath. Not only does it give pure health care, but it also provides emotional and spiritual support for your loved one.
If you are exploring what hospice is all about and why hospice care in California is beneficial for your loved one, we have prepared a valuable guide for you:
What is a hospice?
For the uninitiated, hospice is where individuals with a final stage of an incurable sickness live until the last day of their life. This care can be provided at home, in a hospital, at an extended care facility, or in a specialized center. Hospice care usually starts when a certain illness has become so advanced that it is no longer curable. Patients will then receive care, such as symptom control, pain management, mental health assistance, spiritual support, and family support to ensure they are comfortable living their last days as fully as possible.
Here at Bridge Home Health & Hospice, we provide home health service and hospice care in California. We are also dedicated and committed to serving the communities with our highly trained clinicians and therapists.
Who needs hospice care?
As mentioned, hospice care is for those facing a life-limiting health condition, regardless of the individual’s illness type and age. It can be served to patients at home, assisted living, or in a skilled nursing facility. Typically, a qualified hospice professional and the patient’s primary care physician will assess and certify whether or not they meet the criteria for hospice care, which includes the following:
- The patient has less than six months to live.
- There will no longer be improvements to the patient’s health after the treatments.
- The patient’s quality of life is expected to decline rapidly.
- The patient decides to stop treatments to prolong life.
Why is hospice care beneficial?
If you’re wondering why hospice care is beneficial for those who are about to meet their end, be sure to take note of the following:
- Comfortable environment: It makes sense for your loved one to stay in a comfortable place until the last days of their life. Whether at home or a hospice center where the family can visit and stay, they will be well taken care of.
- Enhanced treatment: As your loved one is expected to bid goodbye, there’s only so much you can do. One is to ensure that your family member gets an enhanced treatment to reduce the pain and alleviate their overall condition until their last breath.
- Bereavement counseling: While hospice care is focused on your loved one who’s close to the end of their life, the team of experts will also be there for you and your family to help you through the bereavement period.
Conclusion
At this point, we’ve covered what hospice care is and why it’s beneficial for your life-limiting loved one. To that end, be sure to consider all the valuable information discussed above, and consider working with a hospice professional. Ultimately, hospice care provides medical treatments and emotional support to terminally ill patients and their families as well!
Are you in need of hospice care in San Diego for your loved one? You’ve come to the right place! We provide one of the best elderly care services in California, ensuring the utmost home-based patient care and upholding respect for human dignity. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
