>> SPEAKER: Do you know someone with a serious disease
with a prognosis of six months or less to live
if the disease runs its normal course?
Have you been worrying about making the transition
from medical care to end of life care?
Are you unsure about
what to expect
as a patient or what your
loved one will go through
during the end of life journey? In this video,
we want to help walk you through what you can
expect from hospice care. Who can make a referral?
What happens during the initial meeting?
How are patient's goals of care determined?
What kinds of medication and equipment are provided?
Is choosing hospice a permanent decision?
We will answer all of these questions together.
Nathan Adelson Hospice
has helped guide thousands
of patients
and families through
this emotional
and stressful time.
We've learned that when a patient is no
longer able or no longer wants to treat their terminal illness,
their priorities change.
Patients begin to search for a way to increase
the quality of life during their final days.
That becomes their main concern.
Many people find that hospice is the right
answer for them or their loved one.
Hospice is the only part of the health care system
specifically designed to meet the needs
of patients and families when a patient no
longer seeks to cure their life limiting illness.
Although there are differences between hospices,
most high quality hospice organizations follow
certain practices and routines in the delivery of care.
Who makes the referral
for hospice?
Typically, hospice is considered when multiple
physicians agree that prognosis indicates the patient has less
than six months to live.
This prognosis doesn't mean the patient will necessarily
die during the next six months,
but it is a realistic possibility.
While most referrals to hospice come from physicians,
other people may refer a patient too,
such as case managers, social workers, family members,
friends or clergy.
Patients are also able to refer themselves.
Consider inquiring about hospice care as soon
as eligibility is determined.
The sooner the patient enters hospice care,
the sooner they can take advantage of services that will
improve their quality of life, reducing the physical,
social and emotional burdens on the patient and their family.
We've put together a separate video that explains in more
detail who is eligible for hospice.
Click the link in the description
if you're interested in exploring that topic further.
What happens during
the initial meeting?
Once a patient is reffered
and agrees to hospice care,
the team arranges for a specialist to meet
with the patient and family.
This hospice consultation can happen in your home,
at the hospital or any other convenient location.
The purpose of this visit is to make a comprehensive
assessment and fully understand the patient's
and family goals and preferences.
What is the role
of the plan of care?
Using the information
from the assessment,
an interdisciplinary group of hospice professionals
develop a plan of care which aligns with the wishes
of the patient and family.
The care team is composed of physicians, nurses,
certified nursing assistants, social workers,
specially trained volunteers and spiritual care providers.
With the family,
the team schedules regular nursing visits,
assistance with personal care and emotional
and spiritual sessions requested in the plan of care.
We have a separate video about who is on the hospice
care team that describes each person's role and how
they contribute to caring for the patient.
Click the link in the description
if you'd like to learn more about the hospice care team.
Who provides the medication
and equipment?
All prescriptions related
to managing pain and comfort
are delivered to the home,
along with durable medical equipment such as hospital beds,
monitors, walkers and more. In general,
hospice will assist in any way it can to make home care
as convenient and safe as possible.
Is choosing hospice
a permanent decision?
Although most people
who enter hospice stay
through the end of life,
hospice isn't always a permanent choice. For example,
if your kidneys are failing,
you might choose the hospice program rather
than continuing with dialysis.
But you can still change your mind,
stop hospice care and start back on treatments.
Other people may get better unexpectedly
and quit the service with the option
of returning later.
What happens during
the final days at home?
When a patient begins
to show symptoms that their
final days are near,
the team will adjust the level of home visits
to meet the needs of the patient and their family.
Once the patient passes,
the staff will assist with final details
and paperwork and provide bereavement
support to the family.
We've put together a more
in-depth article about
what you can expect from hospice
care on our website.
If you wish to explore the topic further you can
visit us at NAH.org or click the link in the description.
As part of this hospice education series,
our next video will discuss who is on the hospice care team,
their roles and how they can help care for hospice patients.
Keep in mind,
the fact that you're exploring hospice care
is a very positive sign.
It means you're considering how to bring
quality of life and compassion to your loved one and family.
The philosophy of hospice is to provide support
and care so that people with life limiting
illness may live as fully and comfortably as possible.
Here at Nathan Adelson Hospice we do all we can to make
sure that no one ends the journey of life alone,
afraid or in pain. Thank you.
If you have additional
questions about hospice,
feel free to reach out to us or leave a comment below.