Let me ask…
are you feeling anxious about deciding where your loved one
should spend their final days, weeks or months?
Did you know that people that die at home experience
more peace compared to those who die
in the hospital and their relatives experience less grief?
Which would be more convenient…
to have to travel to receive care or for the care
to come to you?
Most of the time the hospice care team comes to your home.
But there are times when inpatient care
is necessary for advanced care or pain management.
In this video I want to help explain the benefits
and limitations of in-home hospice care…
the different ways that in-home hospice care
is tailored to your needs…
and situations where inpatient care
might be necessary. Hello I'm Helina Whitney,
inpatient clinical manager at Nathan Adelson Hospice.
I've been a hospice nurse since 2005.
It's important to understand that hospice is not a place,
it's a philosophy of care.
Given a choice most of us would prefer to be at home
when we're not feeling well and it's no different
for people at the end of life.
That's why the majority of hospice care is delivered
in the patient's home.
Of course different patients consider
different places as their home.
It may be a private residence or that of a loved one.
It can also be an assisted living center
or a skilled nursing facility.
There are many advantages to in-home care.
First of all in-home hospice care is convenient
for patients and families.
With in-home hospice care the professionals
you need will travel to you.
Professional care is available 24 hours a day
seven days a week.
With in-home care your loved one is the only
patient in the room unlike in a hospital setting.
There are no call lights,
beeping machines or other distractions.
Patients can spend their final days calm and comfortable
in familiar surroundings.
Another advantage is that family members have
a place to stay around the clock.
When a patient receives hospice care at home their
visitors are free to prepare meals, relax,
socialize and stay as long as they like.
Although the majority of hospice care takes place
at home there are times when inpatient
care may be needed.
There are several reasons why a patient may be admitted
to a hospice inpatient unit…
when a patient has symptoms or pain that cannot
be treated safely at home…
after a patient has been in rehab or a hospital
and their symptoms need to be managed before going home…
or the patient requires careful supervision only
available in a medical facility…
and occasionally patients are admitted to an inpatient
unit so their family can have a break from their
home care duties.
In all cases once the patient is stabilized they can safely
be transported back to their home and continue their care.
We've put together a more in-depth article about
where hospice care takes place.
If you wish to explore the topic further you can visit
our website at NAH dot org or click the link
in the description.
Now you may be wondering what exactly
takes place during hospice care?
Who will show up at your home and what kind of medications
and equipment will be provided?
In our next video of this hospice education
series we will explain what you can expect
from hospice care.
The fact that you are exploring hospice is a very positive sign.
It means you're considering how to bring relief
to an extremely ill person and their family.
The philosophy of hospice is to provide support
and care so that people with a terminal illness
may live as fully and comfortably as possible.
Here at Nathan Adelson Hospice we work to demonstrate
an unwavering commitment to make sure that no
one in our care ends the journey of life alone,
afraid or in pain. Thank you
if you have additional questions feel free to reach out
to us or leave a comment below.