08 Nov 9 Benefits of Electing to Receive Hospice Services
Before you or a loved one can make the decision about whether to elect hospice care, you need to be fully informed about your diagnosis and the prognosis of your illness. You also need to know whether or not you qualify to receive hospice care, should you choose to elect hospice services. If it is determined that you meet the eligibility requirements to receive hospice care, you then need to understand the benefits that hospice care makes available to you.
Those benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:
A familiar environment
The ability of a patient to have a say in choosing where hospice services can be rendered is invaluable. While many patients receive hospice care in a nursing home, a retirement community or at a hospital, a majority of patients receive hospice care in their own homes. Doing so allows the patient to remain in an environment that is familiar to them, surrounded by familiar people, things and routines. This can bring immense peace to the patient.
Credit: Medscape
A sense of dignity
Electing to receive hospice care means that the patient has chosen not to pursue treatments in the hopes of finding a way to prolong his or her life. The ability to make that choice allows the patient to live out the rest of his or her life with dignity—instead of undergoing invasive medical procedures that may not provide any benefit to the patient in the first place.
A comprehensive care plan and a team of health care professionals
Patients who elect to receive hospice services benefit from the combined efforts of a team of health care professionals working together to create a unique and individualized plan of care to address the many aspects of his or her illness. This team of health care professionals includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, certified hospice aides, licensed physical therapists, licensed occupational therapists, licensed speech therapists, social workers and chaplains. Each member of the health care team is trained in playing a role to meet the patient’s physical, emotional, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Trained hospice volunteers also play a part in helping to meet the individual needs of hospice patients.
Respect for the wishes of the patient
Patients who elect to receive hospice care are afforded the opportunity to plan ahead for their end-of-life care in advance, which in turn ensures that there’s the opportunity for those patients’ wishes to be carried out and honored as much as possible.Planning ahead also allows patients to be sure they’re making the right decisions for themselves, especially since they’ve been allowed the time to be thoughtful about, and intentional in, their decisions.
Relief of Financial Burdens
Hospital bills, doctors’ bills and other medical bills can become overwhelming very quickly. In no time at all, bills can pile up and become devastating to a patient and his or her family. The care needed for a patient living with a terminal illness can be costly as well. Treatments that may not prove beneficial to a patient can be just as costly as other types of medical care.Hospice care is usually covered at 100% for patients who qualify for Medicare. Medicaid and commercial insurance also help with the financial burden of end-of-life care rendered by hospice staff, and because hospice care is billed as a “package deal,” it allows for the provision of medications, medical equipment and other necessary medical aids related to a patient’s terminal illness.
Care available 24/7
Hospice care is set up so that a nurse is available to answer calls from patients and/or their family members and loved ones whether it’s 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. Because the hospice model of care is designed to include visits from health care professionals for the patient, as well as the facilitation of support for family members serving in the capacity of caregivers by hospice team members, patients receiving hospice care enjoy the benefit of having a hospice nurse available to answer their questions or the questions of their loved ones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This affords both the patient and his or her caregiver a peace of mind that is invaluable, as they know that whether they have a simple question about a symptom or their symptoms are not well-managed, a nurse will answer the phone and answer their questions and, when necessary, arrange for a visit from a hospice nurse to the patient’s home, whether that is a private residence, a skilled nursing facility, an assisted living facility or the hospital.
Credit: AmericanNurseToday.com
Involvement of patient, family and loved ones in the plan of care
Another hallmark of hospice care—and a very important benefit of that care—is the opportunity for the patient and/or his representative or caregiver to play a role and have a say in the plan of care developed by the hospice care team. In fact, when the patient and his or her loved ones share more about the patient, his or her history, wishes, concerns and desires, it allows the hospice care team to customize an even more individualized plan of care for the patient who has elected to receive hospice services.
Credit: verywellhealth.org
Help in carrying the emotional burden of terminal illness
When a loved one is terminally ill, stresses can run high within the family unit and among friends. There are a myriad of emotions being felt by the patient–and deservedly so–and that patient’s loved ones also feel a wide range of emotions. These emotions can be overwhelming. One of the hallmarks of hospice care is the provision of care for the patient’s and family’s emotional and spiritual needs.
Licensed hospice social workers and hospice chaplains play many roles in meeting those needs. Hospice social workers counsel patients and their loved ones, upon their request, when they are dealing with overwhelming emotions. Hospice chaplains also work to bring peace and healing to hospice patients and their loved ones as they work through their feelings.
Opportunities for growth, peace, healing and comfort
Because hospice care incorporates a philosophy of caring for the total patient, the spiritual and emotional health of each patient on hospice service is not only of the utmost importance, but that health is also a prime focus of the daily efforts of hospice chaplains and social workers. Electing to receive hospice care also means electing to have the kindness and caring of a chaplain and social worker available as needed for hospice patients and even their caregivers.
Credit: Boston.com
At the request of the patient or his or her caregiver or family members, a chaplain is available to answer questions, counsel with patients and families and offer spiritual guidance. Hospice chaplains meet patients where they are spiritually–whether that means the patient considers himself very spiritual or not spiritual at all. Hospice chaplains and social workers can play roles in helping to create opportunities for patients to mend relationships with loved ones, learn coping skills for dealing with a terminal diagnosis and more.
All a patient has to do to receive these benefits is ask for a consult with a chaplain or social worker. A caregiver or loved one can also make a request on behalf of the patient.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.