At Open Arms Hospice, we strive to deliver the best in-home hospice care for the lives of people with life-limiting illnesses. This includes a full support system for both the patient and their family.
WHAT IS HOSPICE?
Hospice is a special type of care that combines palliative care and the philosophy that quality of life is better than quantity of life for those with life-limiting or terminal illnesses.
Hospice care operates under the goal to maximize the quality of life by providing tailored end-of-life care and support services.
This may include:
Pain management
Nursing
Medication administration
Personal care
WHAT A HOSPICE CARE AGENCY CAN OFFER YOU
End of Life Care
Palliative Care
Bereavement Counseling
Hospice Support Services
ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR HOSPICE CARE
In order to qualify for hospice care, the patient must have received a prognosis of six months from a medical doctor. This doesn’t mean that your loved one will die within that time; of course no one can predict this with accuracy. It just means that their illness is terminal and the doctor feels that they could possibly pass away within six months or that curative treatments are no longer effective.
HOW DO I START THE HOSPICE PROCESS?
In order for hospice to start, we must receive the hospice order from the doctor. This acts as a referral that states the patient is qualified for hospice. Then, we will look over the patient’s medical history and assess the patient in order to craft an individual care plan. The assessment can be done at the hospital or in the home, whichever is most convenient for the family.
FAQ ABOUT IN-HOME HOSPICE CARE
PREPARING FOR END OF LIFE CARE
Enlisting hospice services does not mean you’ve given up; it simply means the priority has shifted from aggressively curative treatment to pain management to increase the comfort level of the individual.
Our team provides care to many individuals that have chronic illnesses, cancer, dementia, and many other life-limiting conditions, so you can count on us to provide the highest quality of care. This is why we develop care plans that cater specifically to the needs of the individual. In addition, should an issue ever arise, we’ll be there to assist you any time of day or night.
THE ROLE OF PALLIATIVE CARE IN HOSPICE
Palliative care is a type of treatment that focuses on the comfort and overall well-being of the patient. Uncomfortable symptoms are treated medically to provide maximum quality of life during end-of-life care. Common issues palliative care seeks to alleviate:
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Digestive issues
Difficulty sleeping
Pain
Hospice would not be possible without palliative care, but we do not provide palliative care outside the hospice setting. All our patients receive this kind of comfort care to make them able to focus on the things that matter most with the time they have.
SUPPORT SERVICES AND SOCIAL WORK
Consider us your support team. Our services encompass not only the needs of the patient but the family members as well.
Hospice isn’t just for the patient! This is a time of transition for everyone involved, and it may be emotional or stressful at times. That’s why our philosophy is to work with all who are involved and provide as much support as we can.
We’re all in this together! As a general rule, hospice social workers follow the wishes and requests of the family. They are available to offer a more holistic approach that addresses both the physical and emotional needs of everyone involved.
Our social workers are also available to help communicate the patient’s needs to our team of medical personnel or provide assistance with filling out any paperwork that’s necessary.
BEREAVEMENT COUNSELING FOR HOSPICE FAMILIES
We build relationships with our patients, and it is only fitting that we honor them by supporting their relatives too.
We believe that every individual we meet has an impact that reaches far beyond themselves, spanning out to their community and loved ones. In that same way, the hospice care we provide extends beyond the life of a patient.
We feel strongly about being here to support and guide you through your transition because we understand how grief and loss affect family and friends who have lost a loved one. Family members feeling grief may experience emotions including denial, anger, and depression when a loved one passes away.
One amazing thing about hospice care is that grief counseling is covered under Medicare if your loved one or patient qualifies for Medicare-certified hospice care.