It’s never easy to speak with aging parents about important decisions that need to be made if or when they are unable to care for themselves. The beginning of the new year could be a good time to bring up the subject along with any other healthcare goals for your family. Adding the possibility for future hospice care into the conversation is also a good idea says Blue Water Homecare and Hospice founder and COO, Jennifer Prescott, RN, MSN, CDP.
Blue Water Hospice provides specialized services to families when a loved one’s condition is failing to improve or they are nearing their end of life. An estimated 1.5 million Americans receive hospice care each year in order to improve quality of life as they battle terminal illness.
Jennifer recently answered some basic questions about hospice care, and clarified a few common misconceptions about it, in an interview with Parenting Aging Parents.
Here’s what she had to share from her decades of experience as a nurse and hospice caregiver:
Does hospice care mean that you have to go somewhere to receive the services?
No, in fact, hospice is a service that can be provided anywhere, such as in your own home, a nursing home, memory care center, or an assisted living facility. It can be given wherever that ‘home’ is.
When do you qualify for it, and is it only in your final three to six months?
It doesn’t necessarily have to be only when you have a six months or less prognosis, it could be when you’ve stopped aggressive forms of therapy such as chemotherapy or radiation, dialysis, or other palliative care, or you’ve had a very serious fall or injury, and your condition is just not improving or you’ve lost most major functionality.
This means it could be time for a conversation about hospice with your physician, and they are the ones who can grant you the order or directive for it when you’re ready. Most families realize they are in need of hospice care once their loved one has reached a plateau, or hit a wall, in their recovery.
Does Medicare have a hospice benefit?
Yes, and it often entails services received from a nurse, social worker, chaplain or other spiritual advisor, and bereavement support services for the family up to 13 months following someone’s passing.
Typical services covered under hospice would include things like bathing and grooming, caring for catheters, and range of motion exercises. These services can make a huge difference for families and take the burden off of them so that they can focus on the more quality-filled moments with their loved one.
We will always help you navigate whatever coverage you have in order to gain the greatest benefits.
What are some of the typical conditions that may require hospice care services?
Alzheimer’s and dementia is the number one condition that we serve as these clients are often not going to improve with time.
What is a good marker for knowing when someone needs hospice care?
A good question to answer is: if their disease has progressed with normal progression, would they still be here in six months?
Additional helpful guidelines from Blue Water on when to consider hospice care can be found here.
Is hospice care just for seniors?
No it is not, and unfortunately we do sometimes see younger clients who need our services. We will care for anyone at any age who needs our support.
Does hospice care entail administering medications, or withholding them, in order to facilitate passing?
No we do not ever do that. What we do is ensure that they are comfortable, and our experienced team of caregiversis very careful when helping with medication reminders that prescriptions are never being mixed improperly or overdosed in any way, especially a narcotic.
Is there anything else people should know about hospice care?
It really is a multidisciplinary service to help ensure your loved one, and your family, are surrounded by love, care, and support to make the final days – however many there may be – as comfortable and meaningful as possible. We at Blue Water Hospice aim to help give families some control over the situation to the very best extent possible.
Also remember there is no cost to you at all just to call a hospice care service and have an informal conversation or consultation so that you are educated and ready if and when you may need services. This makes for a much easier transition for families if we already know each other when you decide that you need this type of support.
Please contact us today to learn how Blue Water Hospice Care can help support you and your family during this time of transition.