No one wants to think about losing someone they love, but when taking care of a loved one with a terminal illness, it’s a reality that needs to be faced. In cases where a person is living with a terminal illness, the family should think about ways that they can make their loved one as comfortable as possible in their final months. Hospice in Oakland County could be a good solution.
Signs It Could Be Time for Hospice Care
Hospice helps to improve the quality of life for the loved one and their family. This is especially important at the end of life when a terminally ill person may start to decline in health. If the individual has a substantial amount of pain that is difficult to control, loss of urinary or bowel control, frequent hospitalization, and an inability to perform daily tasks without help, it could be time for hospice.
In addition to physical signs that hospice might be the right solution, there can also be emotional and mental signs. People might start to withdraw from their family and friends, make out of character requests, or start saying goodbye.
Of course, each person is different, and the right time for hospice can vary. Typically, those who are going to hospice will have six or fewer months to live. Hospice care will help to better manage the person’s symptoms, such as pain, and provide them with comfort and dignity in their final days.
It can be difficult for family members to come to terms with these changes and opt for hospice care. However, it is often the best solution. A hospice facility will provide them with professional care from a compassionate staff that has experience ensuring patients are comfortable and can enjoy their final months. Family members need to assure their loved ones that they are not alone and that they will still receive visits when they are receiving hospice care.
Benefits of Hospice in Oakland County
Hospice is a benefit that is fully covered by Medicare. Beneficiaries can receive hospice if their life expectancy is six months or less. Patients can still receive treatment for other health problems, but they will forego treatment for their terminal illness.
Hospice doesn’t only focus on one aspect of patient care. Instead, it provides overall treatment for the individual by addressing physical, mental, and emotional needs. Often, part of the care will include medications that are used to help people better deal with their pain. However, pain management is only part of the treatment. The best facilities can also offer other types of therapy, such as physical therapy and music therapy. It’s about providing everything the individual needs to make their final months as enjoyable as possible.
What Do People Get Wrong About Hospice Care?
Hospice is not something that people have to deal with often, so understandably, there are some misconceptions about what it entails. One of those misconceptions is that all of the patients who receive the care suffer from cancer. While it’s true that cancer is one of the diseases that account for many hospice patients, it is not the only disease. Some individuals may have lung or heart disease, dementia, or similar terminal illnesses. Hospice care is an option that could be used by anyone who is entering the final months of their life. It does not only include seniors.
One of the other misconceptions is that the patient has to leave their home. That’s not always the case. Often, it is possible to provide hospice care at home, and most people do receive this care at home. Many people do not like the idea of hospice because they do not want to leave a home that they know and love. The thought of going to a facility is frightening. Fortunately, it is possible to find quality staff that can provide all of the needed care in the comfort of the patient’s home.
Of course, there may be some cases where hospice provided in a facility is the better solution. In those cases, it is important to find a good facility offering hospice in Oakland County that can provide a highly-trained, caring staff and quality means of helping the patients handle their symptoms.
Some families worry that hospice care would be too costly for them. Remember, hospice is covered by Medicare, which can pay for the costs in most cases. It doesn’t have to be costly to provide people with high quality end of life care.
Finding Hospice Care
There are many benefits provided by hospice care, but this doesn’t mean that any facility or company will do. It is important to find the best possible hospice in Oakland County, whether professionals will be providing at-home care or the patient will move to a facility. Take the time to learn more about the facilities to get a better idea of the type of care they can provide and whether it will be the right solution or not. One of the most important things to consider is the quality and compassion of the staff that will be providing the care.
What is Assisted Living?
In some cases, hospice care is not the right solution. For those who are still vibrant but who need some help with daily tasks around the house, it might be a good idea to consider an assisted living community in Oakland County. These facilities often have a range of room options, activities, professionally prepared food, and similar benefits. In an assisted living facility, it is often possible to provide furnishings from home to outfit the resident’s room. This can help to make the individual feel more comfortable in the new environment.
Assisted living facilities are different from hospice, but some facilities may offer both of these types of services. Take the time to learn more about what Troy facilities offer to be sure they will work well for an individual’s needs.
