4 minute read
Why Wait to Embrace Comfort? The Power of Early Hospice Care
By Lauren Blair
Introducing hospice services earlier rather than later can provide numerous benefits for those facing life-limiting illnesses, their families, and their loved ones. When patients are referred to hospice with only a few days left of their lives, they miss benefits their families could have had. Some of the many benefits of starting hospice care sooner include:
Improved Quality of Life: Hospice care emphasizes enhancing the quality of life for those facing a terminal illness. When a patient begins hospice services early on in their illness journey, patients can receive comprehensive care that manages their physical, emotional well-being, and spiritual needs.
Assistance with Activities of Daily Living: Toward the end of life, patients may have difficulty with selfcare, struggling with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and toileting. Certified Nursing Assistants help with those needs, so when patients are admitted to hospice services sooner, patients and their families have more opportunity for quality time together.
Symptom Management: Hospice professionals are experts in providing pain control, symptom relief, and effective management of symptoms related to the terminal illness, such as increased pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, or nausea, helping patients experience greater comfort and a higher quality of life.
Education and Training for the Caregiver: Caregiving involves tasks beyond daily living, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, but also includes specialized undertakings, like administering medication, help manage symptoms, and attending to other duties. Our nurses and team members provide the training and education that caregivers need to provide the best care for their loved ones when they are away.
Time to Cultivate Relationships with Hospice Team: Building a relationship with the hospice team early on in a patient’s journey allows patients and their families to develop a rapport, encouraging strong communication, which can help with a more tailored care plan.
Avoid Unnecessary Hospitalizations: Hospitalizations can become routine at the end of life. Ambulance rides or changes in daily routine can be very distressing for patients and their loved ones. Hospice manages patient’s symptoms right in the comfort of their own home, helping patients to be able to stay where they are familiar and most comfortable.
Emotional and Psychosocial Support: Patients may have feelings of depression or hopelessness at the end of life. Spiritual counselors and social workers can help them cope and our volunteers provide patients and their loved ones with friendship, comfort, and support. Hospice professionals start end-of-life conversations early on to ensure that the patient's wishes are met, promoting dignity and quality of life.
Care Coordination: The hospice team works with patients, their loved ones, and other healthcare providers to promote continuity of care. Early hospice participation allows the team to effectively address the miscellaneous needs of the patient and family. The hospice team arranges for the delivery of any needed equipment to the patient’s house, such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, walker, oxygen, and a bedside commode.
Extended Bereavement Support: Hospice services include bereavement support for loved ones after a patient passes away. Getting to know hospice staff early on in a patient’s journey can help loved ones better navigate the grieving process.
The earlier a patient comes onto hospice services, the more support and assistance a patient and their loved ones will be able to receive through visits from our hospice staff. When a patient is referred late, they miss opportunities that our hospice team can provide. Conversely, those who join hospice early, get to receive more of all the above. More support translates into time to focus on what matters most to you. “I wish I had called hospice sooner” is a common phrase we hear. You don’t have to wait to receive the care and support you need. Call us today.
Lauren
Lauren Blair is our Community Relations & Development Manager. You can contact her at lblair@coastalhospice.org or by phone: 410-742-8732 ext. 658 .
