When patients with terminal conditions are near the end of life, hospice care helps them and their families to more effectively handle the situation. Many people undergo hospice care at home or in a care facility with their respective medical conditions often determining the best location. No matter where the care occurs, it provides patients and their families with many benefits. Here are three of the more significant benefits.
1. Add to the Patient’s Final Days
Instead of focusing on treating the medical condition, hospice treatment focuses on the quality of life for the patient and the family. Improving the quality of life during the final days often extends it because the patient can focus on getting the most out of the final weeks with family and others. According to the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, hospice care enables patients to live about 29 days longer than without it. That extra month provides patients and their families the opportunity to spend quality time together.
2. Ease the Burden on the Family
Many people rely greatly on their families during their final days, which can create stress for their family members. Hospice treatment eases that burden by providing the comforting care that family members might otherwise need to provide. The hospice staff can visit the patient at home or provide care in a facility that can support any medical needs that might be needed to ease any end-of-life pain and suffering. The family’s lessened burden makes it easier to take care of the patient’s other needs and theirs.
3. Focus on the Patient’s Needs
Hospice programs are designed to focus on what a patient needs to ease the pain and suffering that often accompanies the end of life. The hospice staff can control the amount of pain experienced by the patient and help regulate sleep. The staff dispenses with unneeded medications or medical tests that might cause discomfort without producing a medically beneficial result. The entire focus is to make the patient’s final days as fulfilling as possible for the individual and any family or friends who might tend to the patient’s needs.
You can call, send an online request, or visit us to learn more about the types of available hospice care. We can help ensure a dignified and less stressful end of life for a loved one. We look forward to hearing from you.
