Everything You Need to Know About Hospice Care at Home
Written by:
Jeffrey Grossman
Published:
June 25th, 2024
Would in-home hospice services benefit me or my aging loved one? This question often surfaces when an elderly loved one faces the final stages of their life. Handling this type of care for your loved one yourself can be overwhelming due to the physical, emotional, and logistical challenges. Instead of cherishing the final moments with your loved one, you can spend the season overwhelmed by the responsibilities of hospice care.
This is where trained in-home hospice caregivers can benefit you and your aging loved one. Professional hospice services at home ensure your loved one receives the comfort and care they need while also relieving you of your day-to-day caregiving duties.
If you find yourself providing end-of-life care for an elderly loved one and want to know more about in-home hospice care, keep reading.
What is Hospice Care at Home?
Hospice care at home involves caring for a loved one in their home as they near the end of their life. It ensures that the elderly adult is safe, comfortable, and cared for, often 24/7.
As a family member, you may initially want to step in and provide this care yourself. However, hospice care as a family caregiver can become all-consuming and lead to:
Physical Exhaustion: Tasks such as bathing, clothing, feeding, and other care responsibilities can be physically draining, leaving you with little time to rest.
Stress and Anxiety: Managing medications and medical equipment without formal training can be overwhelming, creating stress and anxiety.
Personal Sacrifices: Family caregivers often sacrifice most of their spare time to look after their aging loved one, impacting their personal lives, marriages, careers, health, etc.
Health Impacts: The constant demands of caregiving can lead to neglected self-care, such as poor eating habits, inconsistent exercise, and insufficient sleep, harming a family caregiver's health.
Psychological Effects: The emotional burden of anticipating the loss of a loved one, coupled with ongoing care responsibilities, can lead to psychological and emotional strain.
Family Dynamics: Conflicts over care decisions and end-of-life preferences can cause family stress and disagreements.
Logistical Challenges: Adapting homes for safety, coordinating with medical professionals, and scheduling appointments can be overwhelming.
Thankfully, hiring a trained in-home hospice caregiver can help alleviate some of these burdens and provide your aging loved one with the end-of-life care they need.
Professional Hospice Services at Home
Hiring an in-home hospice caregiver brings expert care and support directly to your loved one. Instead of having to provide all the care yourself, you can be with your loved one in their final days while a trained professional provides hands-on care for your loved one.
Here are some ways a professional in-home hospice care company can benefit you and your aging family member:
Personal Care for Your Loved One: Hands on assistance for your loved one with activities of daily living, like bathing and personal hygiene, dressing and grooming, and feeding.
Companionship Care: Apart from the hands-on care a professional in-home caregiver can provide, they can also help with other activities, like housework and laundry, meal prep, errands, and bill pay.
Respite Care for Family Caregivers: Even if you don’t need a trained caregiver with your elderly loved one 24/7, getting a break from the caregiving duties can be helpful. Expert in-home caregivers are a great way to provide you (or other family caregivers) with some time to yourself or to take care of other life responsibilities.
24/7 Care: If your loved one needs care at all hours of the day and you just can’t do it yourself, working with a home care company that provides around-the-clock care can ensure your loved one has the constant care they need.
Administrative Care: Additionally, some home care companies help coordinate and oversee health services, medication management, and patient advocacy during end-of-life care.
If you’re wondering, “Can hospice be done at home?” The answer is yes. With the right support and plan in place, hospice care at home can provide a comfortable and compassionate environment, enabling your loved one to spend their remaining time in a familiar environment surrounded by friends and family.
The Difference Between Palliative Care and In-home Hospice Services
If you’re looking into in-home hospice services, you may have also come across the term “palliative care”—and you may not know the difference between the two services.
Palliative care offers supportive and compassionate care starting from the moment a person is diagnosed with a terminal or chronic illness. It can be administered alongside treatments to cure the illness and continues through to end-of-life care. The primary goal of palliative care is to ease the symptoms associated with serious illnesses and reduce the physical and emotional burdens these conditions impose. This type of care is accessible at the time of diagnosis, during curative treatment, and at the end of life.
Hospice care offers compassionate support aimed solely at providing comfort, not curing an illness. It usually begins when a patient is expected to live six months or less, typically after all treatments intended to cure the illness have been stopped, and recovery is no longer expected.
Advantages of In-home Hospice Services
Although there are out-of-home hospice services like nursing facilities and hospice care centers, they often lack the same level of care that your loved one would get with a trained in-home hospice caregiver.
As you look into the different hospice care options, consider these unique benefits to in-home hospice services:
Personalized Care: At home, every aspect of treatment is tailored to fit your loved one's unique needs and preferences, ensuring the highest level of comfort, care, and personalized attention.
Family Participation: Families can be more involved and provide emotional support at home, making it easier to share precious moments together.
Continuity of Environment: Hospice services at home allow your loved one to remain in familiar surroundings, promoting emotional well-being and comfort during a challenging time.
In-home hospice services allow your loved one to receive personalized care, stay in a familiar and comforting environment, and spend final moments surrounded by family.
Discover Peace at Home with Expert Hospice Care
Caring for a loved one in the final stages of life is a profound and emotional journey. At Commonwise Home Care, we deeply understand the sensitivity of this time and are dedicated to providing compassionate, specialized hospice care right in the comfort of your loved one’s home.
Our team of experienced caregivers tailors their approach to align perfectly with your loved one's needs and your family’s wishes, ensuring comfort, dignity, and peace throughout the hospice care journey. Whether you need full-time support or just someone to help lighten the load, we're here to craft a care plan that feels right for everyone involved.
Reach out to us today to discuss how we can bring gentle, compassionate care into your loved one’s home, helping them live their final days in the best way possible.