When you or a loved one is faced with a life limiting illness, making informed decisions will be key to serenity for all. Join us as we explore the ultimate goal and the purpose of Hospice care. In this article you will learn a bit more about the four pillars of purpose.
To put it succinctly, Hospice of Southwest Ohio delivers physical, emotional and spiritual care for people with illnesses who have chosen to seek treatment for symptoms rather than a cure during the last six months of life. Our multidisciplinary team includes a combination of medical professionals and volunteers trained to help patients feel more comfortable and celebrate life.
Hospice care is a specialized set of services reserved for those diagnosed with a terminal illness or condition and who no longer wish to seek curative treatment. Just as each person is unique, their end-of-life needs are different. Consequently, no two hospice care plans look exactly alike. However, the overall objectives of hospice services remain similar.
The Four Pillars of Purpose:
1. Symptom Management
Patient comfort is the primary purpose of hospice care and impossible to attain while pain and other distressing symptoms remain unaddressed. Specially trained in hospice care, our nurses excel at symptom management and are available 24 hours a day to provide support and answer questions.
2. Emotional Support
People who care for hospice patients often experience grief. This can occur once the patient passes — but also before — in what’s called “anticipatory grief.” It’s normal to grieve the death of a loved one before, during and after it happens.
Our team offers grief counseling services and bereavement support for caregivers of hospice patients. Grief can lead to feelings of anger, depression, guilt, sadness and other emotional, and even physical, issues if left untreated, so it’s important to address the feelings early on.
3. Personal Care
Hospice care often includes a combination of the patient’s family caring for them. So, you might help your loved one with activities such as moving around the house, cooking/feeding and administering medication.
With routine care, a member of the hospice team will come by the house several times per week to check in and make sure the patient is comfortable and experiencing relief from pain and other symptoms.
4. Respite for Caregivers
When you’re taking care of a hospice patient in a home setting, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Balancing the rest of your life while supporting a loved one in hospice can be exhausting. Many people need additional help, have an event they need to attend, travel requirements or just need a little break.
Our nurses and social workers are available for short-term respite care in our Madeira Care Center or nursing facilities. Respite care is offered in our Care Center for a five-day period. The room and board during those five days is covered by Medicare each month.
Hospice of Southwest Ohio provides respite care by offering relief for caregivers when they need additional support. Respite care is available for a few hours up to five days, and anywhere in between.
Wherever your loved one calls home, that’s where our hospice team goes.
One of the best things about hospice care is that it can be anywhere you prefer. Hospice is a type of care, not a destination. If your loved one’s home is where care is preferred, we’ll be there. At Hospice of Southwest Ohio we focus on comfort. That’s our purpose.
