Are you or a loved one considering hospice care in Eastman, GA? If so, you might be wondering what to expect. Here are a few things to know before you make this decision for yourself or your family:
What is Included in Hospice Care?
Hospice care is aimed at making the patient comfortable during a very difficult time in their lives. The most important aspect of this is providing pain relief and symptom management. However, hospice care may also offer emotional, mental, and spiritual support. This kind of holistic approach can make a patient feel more comfortable and at peace during their final days, whether those days are many or few.
Where Can You Receive Hospice Care?
You may think of hospice care in Eastman, GA as only being offered in hospice centers. However, hospice services may be provided in a variety of settings. These include:
• The patient’s home.
• The hospital where a patient already receives care.
• A hospital with specialized services.
• A nursing home or extended care facility.
• A hospice-specific center.
Regardless of where care is provided, it should be the same consistent quality, aimed at making the patient as comfortable as possible.
When Might You Receive Hospice Care?
Hospice care may also be called end-of-life care. While it is generally provided in the final days of a patient’s life, that timeframe can be difficult to pinpoint. Some guidelines used to qualify a person for hospice care include the following:
• Projected lifespan of six months or less. (If the patient lives past this point, a doctor can easily recertify them for hospice care.)
• Progress or improvement is no longer being seen in treatment for a condition that cannot improve on its own.
• Quality of life is rapidly declining.
• Other treatments aimed at prolonging life have ceased.
Many patients do not receive hospice services early enough. This leaves these patients and their families feeling dissatisfied and with unmet needs. The best way to prevent this is to implement hospice services earlier. For more details, visit Hospice Care Options.
