Hospice is about deciding how to live life with the time that’s left. Many of us hope we’ll have more time with our parents or grandparents, even when our loved ones are in the late stages of a chronic illness. However, modern medicine can only do so much, and quality of life should always trump the longevity of life. Here are some signs to know when it’s time for your loved one to enter hospice by our hospice care team in Ocean City, NJ.
- Frequent hospitalizations – If your loved one is spending more and
more time in the hospital, or needing frequent trips to the emergency
room, it can be an indicator that hospice care should be considered.
- Frequent and recurrent infections – When the body’s immune system
starts to fail, infections become commonplace, which means they take much
longer to heal and tend to occur more frequently.
- A rapid decline in the last 6 months – If you have noticed a rapid and dramatic
decline in your loved one’s health over the last 6 months or so, even
under medical care, it can be an indication that they are drawing towards
end-of-life care.
- Mental and emotional changes – Often, our loved ones have a clearer
idea of the time they have left than we do, and this can cause emotional
and mental changes. Often, people begin giving things away, focusing on
funeral plans, making apologies, or making unusual requests. In later stages,
people can start experiencing hallucinations and withdraw from family and
friends.
- Uncontrolled pain, nausea, and
difficulty –
Struggling to control pain and nausea, difficulty breathing, and
struggling to keep any food down can be an indication that hospice care is
needed. In hospice, the focus is on actively managing pain and easing
symptoms to support the person’s comfort at all times.
- Recommendations to focus on the quality of
life rather than aggressive medical treatment – If the doctors recommend that treatment
changes from looking for a cure towards easing symptoms and creating
comfort, then hospice care sounds like the next course of action for your
loved one.
- Decreased alertness, appetite, and
confusion – Loss of
appetite, spending more time sleeping, and losing the ability to focus and
remain alert over reasonable periods of time can be indicators that
someone is approaching the end of their life.
- Dramatically increased daily care
needs – A
significant deterioration in your loved one’s ability to take care of
themselves in terms of eating, grooming themselves, getting dressed or
using the bathroom, can indicate that hospice care is needed.
When is the right time to go into hospice care?
None of us like
thinking about the end of our loved one’s lives. This makes choosing the right
time to go into hospice care quite difficult and also means that a lot of
people go into hospice much later than they actually should.
The most important
aspect to keep in mind is quality of life over quantity of life. Instead of
worrying about choosing hospice care too early, think about how hospice care
can enhance your loved one’s comfort on all levels – physically, emotionally
and spiritually. If you put their quality of life at the forefront, you’ll feel
more secure and confident when transitioning your
loved one to hospice care.
Your loved one’s
doctors are also great resources to help guide their care. Usually, to get
admitted into hospice, two independent physicians must recommend it based on
their thorough evaluation of your loved one’s health.
We also recommend that
you get to know reputable hospice care providers in your area to see what they
have to offer, and ask yourself if this is the kind of thing that would benefit
your loved one. For example, Bridges at The Shores in Cape May County NJ offers
a very comforting and nurturing environment with a multidisciplinary team that
includes doctors, nurses, chaplains, social workers, and more to deliver
holistic hospice care. We work hard to create a very different type of hospice
that supports families, as well as their loved ones with a wide range of
services and amenities.
Bridges at The
Shores services and amenities include:
- Nursing oversight
- Life enrichment program
- Medication and pain management
- Luxury linens
- WiFi-enabled
- Outdoor courtyards
- Music room
- Salon
- 24/7 dining
- Family and spiritual support
If you’d like to find
out more about our hospice care program, Bridges at The Shores, or see if your
loved one is eligible for hospice care in Ocean City, NJ, call our team today
or visit our website at: https://theshores.umcommunities.org/
Original blog posted on https://theshores.umcommunities.org/the-shores/when-is-hospice-recommended/
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