Needing hospice care can be overwhelming during an uncertain time in life. We understand you have a lot of questions. Allelon Hospice is here to help you by answering your many questions about hospice care.
If you have additional questions, or would like further consultation, please contact us at 719-242-0043.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care is medical care provided to patients with a life expectancy of six months or less. The goal of hospice care is not to cure the patient, but rather to maintain and improve their quality of life for the time they have left. This allows patients to be as comfortable as possible, while continuing to have meaningful experiences.
Hospice care is provided by a team of compassionate, knowledgeable individuals including nurses, physicians, volunteers, therapists, and chaplains. This group works together to both support and provide for the needs of both patients and their families.
In addition to medical care, hospice care also provides pain management, emotional and spiritual support, and other services tailored to everyone’s needs.
Who is Eligible to Find Comfort & Support through Hospice Care?
Any individual who has received a diagnosis from their doctor with a life expectancy of six months or less is eligible to receive hospice care. Medicare recipients have no out-of-pocket expense when receiving hospice benefits. This includes diagnoses of any type of illness including:
- Cancer
- Alzheimer’s
- Lung, heart, or kidney disease
- ALS
- Strokes
- Neurological diseases
- Dementia
What Services Can Hospice Care Include?
Each individual patient’s needs vary based on their illness, family’s involvement, living environment and other factors. So, hospice services vary for each patient. Here are some services often included:
- Medical care from a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, hospice aides, and others
- Access to hospice team members 24/7
- Medication to relieve symptoms including nausea, pain, and shortness of breath
- Medical supplies and equipment, including wheelchairs, and hospital beds
- Short-term respite care, which allows time off for family caregivers
- Emotional support for family members, including bereavement counseling
How Should I Choose a Hospice Provider?
Not all hospice providers are the same. It’s recommended that you speak with hospice providers, if needed, in your area before deciding. That’s why it’s also a good idea to begin your research before your needs, or the needs of a loved one, are dire.
To begin your research, you can ask your doctor, hospital, state health department, or try searching the internet.
What Specific Care Does Allelon Hospice Provide?
Our hospice services are tailored to provide comfort to individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Treatments are administered to manage pain and symptoms, as well as provide emotional, spiritual, and social support.
Our goal for each patient is to create a care plan that allows them to enjoy the time they have remaining with a high quality of life. While care is highly customized for each individual patient’s needs, our hospice services typically include:
- Pain and Symptom Management: Through coordination with a patient’s physician and our staff, treatment, therapy, and medication are administered to keep the patient comfortable and minimize pain and other symptoms. Special efforts are made to keep patients comfortable so they can enjoy their environment and the company of their loved ones. Special considerations are made to keep patients’ symptoms managed, comfortable, and able to enjoy their environment and the company of their loved ones.
- Personal Assistance: Our knowledgeable, experienced, and compassionate staff make frequent visits to patients. During these visits, personal assistance can be a part of their care, if the patient or family chooses.
- Spiritual Care: In what can be a difficult time of transition, we’ve found that spiritual support can be as beneficial as any form of medical treatment. Not only do these services help patients to develop a profound understanding of their illness and circumstances, but they also help bring peace to the family and other loved ones involved. Spiritual care often includes visits from clergy and other spiritual counselors to provide guidance and support, or even help with religious ceremonies or rituals.
- Coordination Of Care: Our interdisciplinary group is made up of experienced professionals, who are dedicated to providing quality care. Through coordination and supervision, hospice is available, including after-hours emergency care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This includes communication and partnerships with inpatient facilities, home care agencies, physicians, pharmacists, clergy, funeral directors, and all others who are instrumental in care outside of our own staff. Through this effort, we’re able to ensure there are no gaps or shortcomings and patients receive the quality of care they deserve.
- Bereavement Care: Hospice care helps patients maintain a high quality of life as they approach the end of their life. A patient’s death does not mark the end of our services, however. Our hospice team provides benefits for the patient’s family during this difficult time of mourning, as well. Trained volunteers, clergy members, and counselors can provide support, refer family members to groups and other professionals when needed, or even help with funeral planning. These services continue for 13 months after a patient’s death to fully support individuals as they cope with the loss of their loved one.
