How In-Home Care Can Support Hospice Services

When individuals face the end of life, the focus shifts from curative treatments to ensuring the highest quality of life during their remaining time. Hospice care can provide comfort, support, and dignity during this stage, but hospice care alone may not be enough to ensure your loved one gets the care they need to be comfortable. In-home care can help bridge that gap, offering several compelling benefits for both patients and their families. This is how in-home care can support and enhance the delivery of hospice services.

In-Home Hospice Care Provides Compassion and Comfort

Most people strongly prefer to stay home at the end of their lives. This desire is often associated with a need for familiarity, comfort, and the opportunity to be with loved ones. Recent studies have shown that 71% of Americans say they would rather die surrounded by family and friends at home. Comparatively, only nine percent of Americans would choose to die in a hospital and seven percent in a hospice care facility.?

Despite these clear preferences, less than half of Americans actually believe they are likely to die at home. The complications of hospice care paired with intensive caregiving needs at a person’s end-of-life can certainly make in-home hospice a challenge. But with the help of a dedicated caregiving team, you can make your loved one’s wishes to remain at home a reality. Here are just a few benefits hospice care provides:

A Familiar Surrounding

For patients facing the end of life, remaining at home can provide a sense of security and peace. In-home care allows patients to spend their final moments in the environment they love, rather than a hospital or nursing home. When people experience confusion during their end-of-life care, being in a strange place can make it even harder to orient them. Remaining at home, however, can help people stay grounded and allow them to enjoy their time with loved ones among their belongings and chosen settings.

Emotional and Psychological Support

In-home care teams consist of skilled and compassionate professionals who provide emotional and psychological support to patients and their families. The presence of a familiar, dedicated caregiver can offer much-needed comfort, companionship, and reassurance during this challenging time.?

Personalized Care Plans

In-home care is known for its ability to offer highly personalized care plans. This is particularly valuable for hospice patients, as it allows the care team to tailor the services to the unique needs and wishes of the patient. From pain management to emotional support, in-home care services can adapt to provide the best possible care.

Pain and Symptom Management

Effective pain and symptom management are essential in hospice care. In-home care teams include professionals skilled in palliative care and symptom control. They work closely with the patient’s healthcare providers to minimize pain and discomfort, allowing the patient to focus on what matters most.

Improved Quality of Life

The primary goal of hospice care is to enhance the quality of life for patients during their final days. In-home care supports this mission by ensuring patients can maintain their daily routines, enjoy their favorite activities, and continue engaging with their loved ones.

In-home care upholds the dignity and autonomy of hospice patients. It allows individuals to make decisions about their care and the services they receive. Patients can maintain their independence and have control over their final moments in a way that is much more difficult in a facility setting.

Support for Families

In-home hospice care encourages family involvement in the care process. Families can actively participate in caring for their loved ones, fostering a sense of connection and creating precious moments during this difficult time. In-home care providers often offer education and training to family members, ensuring they feel confident in their role.

Hospice care also extends beyond the patient’s passing. In-home care services often continue to support the family during the bereavement period. Grief counseling, assistance with funeral arrangements, and emotional support are provided to help families cope with their loss.

In-Home Caregiving as a Vital Component of Hospice Services

In-home caregivers can be a vital and supportive component of hospice services. Hospice teams typically include nurses, doctors, social workers, and therapists who provide medical, psychological, and emotional support to patients and families. However, day-to-day tasks like bathing, toileting, meal planning, and chores often still need attention.

In-home caregivers can integrate into the hospice team and take care of these essential duties that contribute to the patient’s overall quality of life. Caregivers can also provide invaluable respite care to give family members much-needed breaks to run errands, go to work, or just take a break.?

In-home caregivers working in partnership with hospice providers offer compassionate care that aims to create meaningful, comforting, and fulfilling end-of-life experiences. Generations Home Care is here to guide you through the process to ensure your loved one gets the best care possible.

Are You and Your Loved Ones Prepared for In-Home Hospice?

While in-home care can be a valuable component of hospice services, there are also some essential considerations to keep in mind before you begin:

1. Find the right care team. Effective coordination between your in-home care team and the patient’s hospice team is crucial. This involves regular communication and collaboration to ensure that the patient’s care plan is cohesive and consistent.
2. Consider your budget. Medicare typically covers all hospice care costs. However, insurance does not always cover in-home care services. As a result, families must consider their financial situation and explore options such as insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, or veteran’s benefits to help cover these expenses.?
3. Prepare your home for hospice care. Assessing the patient’s home environment is essential to ensure it is safe and suitable for hospice care. You may need to make modifications to accommodate the patient’s needs and safety.
4. Manage your emotions. Patients and their families must emotionally prepare for the challenges and emotional journey of end-of-life care. Open communication with healthcare providers and the in-home care team is crucial to ensure everyone is ready for the journey ahead.

About Generations Home Care

Generations Home Care personalized in-home care and support services help those recovering from illness, injury, or surgery, living with a chronic disease, or dealing with the natural process of aging. We help people live a fuller, healthier, and independent life.

Our caregivers are trained in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended COVID-19 safety precautions . We offer levels of care ranging from companionship, to respite for the primary family caregiver, to homemaking services, to assistance with activities of daily living, to Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Generations Home Care takes a holistic approach and emphasizes a consistent, client-centered plan of care.

Our Specialty Services Include:

• Rehab or hospital-to-home programs for safe discharge.
• Short-term post-operative care during recovery periods.
• Non-medical life management services for people with chronic conditions.
• Veteran’s connection to care program.
• Live-in services and couples care.

If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you, contact us today at 602-595-HOME (4663) or by filling out the contact form on our website .