When you are taking care of an older or terminally ill individual, it is likely that a time will come when you and your family will need to make the decision to place your loved one into hospice care. This type of medical care offers patients with symptom and pain management solutions while moving away from techniques that are aimed at curing the disease. Making the decision to transition to hospice care can be difficult, and there tends to be a lot of confusion when it comes to making the decision. With that being said, here are some answers to some frequently asked questions regarding hospice care.

Is Hospice Care Considered End-of-Life Care?

End-of-life and hospice care are very similar. In both of these instances, patients will receive the care only after their medical condition has severely advanced or they stop responding to treatment. Hospice care will not attempt to speed up or avoid death, but it will try to increase the comfort of patients with death as a natural course of life.

Are Patients Able to Receive Hospice Care at Their Homes?

Depending on the nursing home or hospital, there may be options in terms of where you receive end-of-life care. If you feel much more comfortable being in your home, then you should be able to spend your time at home. However, it is important to keep in mind that there are a lot of assisted living facilities that have specific areas inside of the facility that are dedicated to hospice care.

Who Will Be With You in End-Of-Life Care?

Aside from visiting loved ones, you will have a dedicated team for your care. This dedicated team will include a registered nurse, home health aide, hospice volunteer, social worker, and chaplain. The individuals of your team will work to meet your needs as they come up.

How Is End-of-Life Care Paid for?

This type of care is generally paid for by either your private insurance plan or Medicare. If you do not currently have Medicare, you should get in touch with your medical provider to make sure that hospice care will be covered. You may also want to look into other ways that end-of-life care may be able to be taken care of in your area, if any.

Is Hospice Care Available Around-the-Clock?

While you may not necessarily have a member of your dedicated team with you at all times of the day or night, there will be a nursing staff member that you can get a hold of in the event of an emergency and who can be at your side in no time at all, especially if you are at an assisted living facility. In some cases, however, it is possible to have a live-in nurse or aide so that you do have around-the-clock care.

If you have any more questions, contact a home hospice care service in your area.

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