DISPELLING MYTHS ABOUT HOSPICE CARE
If your loved one is already receiving senior in home care services, then you probably already have a clear idea of the benefits of having a professional caregiver attend to your loved one’s needs. Toward the end of life, your loved one may need additional services from a local hospice program. Your in home care provider can partner with the hospice program to ensure that all of your loved one’s needs are met.
Myth: Choosing hospice care is equivalent to giving up hope.
Many families delay seeking hospice care for as long as possible because it’s widely considered that choosing hospice means giving up hope that the patient will recover. Later, families often regret that they didn’t choose hospice sooner. The mission of hospice programs is to help the individual achieve quality of life despite a terminal diagnosis. Hospice programs also greatly assist family members by connecting them with much-needed resources like hospice support services and spiritual care providers.
Myth: Hospice care must be delivered in a hospital.
Many hospice patients receive care within the comfort of their own homes, although some hospice programs do operate out of hospitals or long-term care facilities. Often, the families choose to continue receiving senior in home care services along with the hospice services to better meet the needs of their loved one and the whole family.
Myth: Hospice care is only appropriate for seniors.
Seniors toward the end of life do comprise a significant percentage of hospice patients. However, hospice care is appropriate for anyone who has received a terminal diagnosis.
Myth: Choosing hospice means that the end is imminent.
When a patient enters into hospice care, he or she has received a terminal diagnosis for which a cure is unlikely. Hospice patients typically have a life expectancy of six months or less. However, there is simply no way for a doctor to truly know how long a patient has. Some patients are in hospice care for a matter of days, while others receive care for years.
If you’re looking for hospice care in Mesa, AZ and the surrounding communities, reach out to Endeavor In Home Care today. We work in partnership with a handpicked group of hospice organizations in Arizona, providing services such as transportation, light housekeeping, companionship, and meal preparation, and much more. To discuss your loved one’s in-home or hospice care needs in Mesa, AZ, reach out today at (877) 584-6162.
