Please google "Hospice Care". Interview Hospice agencies, ask for literature or a phone call to introduce you to the concept. Basically Hospice is "end of life care" and agencies help to provide more care, and more directed care. Hospice has members of every facet of care from RN or aid, to clergy support to social workers. They are ordered by an MD when it is understood that it is very likely the patient has no more than 6 months to live (often they are wrong and hospice care goes on much longer. Hospice care is covered by medicare and will provide special equipment free of charge such as hospital bed. Hospice is trained in pain control and will keep a patient who is suffering from pain comfortable with administration of pain medications. Hospice is only ordered when the patient and family understand that the patient is in fact dying, and that the patient no longer wishes treatment and diagnositics (excepting for painful conditions such as UTI, wound care, many other things.) If you have other questions you should speak to MD, to Hospice itself, and do some research online. If you go to search bar above (magnifying glass in your timeline) and type in "hospice" you may find information to help guide you in more knowledge.
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking about hospice, but I can share my experience with them, as my husband was under their care in our home for 22 months. Initially he had a nurse come once a week to check his vitals, and an aide come twice a week to bathe him as he was completely bedridden in our living room. Hospice did provide any needed equipment, supplies and medications for him as well, like the hospital bed, oxygen, diapers, pads, etc. When my husband had to be put on a pain pump, the nurses were then required to come 3 times a week to flush his picc lines, record usage, and change out the pump if needed. And when he was in his 6 week dying process the nurse came almost everyday, for maybe 45 minutes to an hour. They also sent a massage therapist(prior to his dying process) a couple of times to the house, which my husband seemed to enjoy, but when Covid hit, all that stopped, including their volunteers being able to come out, which we never took advantage of. So really in the big picture of things, you can see that if you are doing hospice in the home, you are still left with 99% of your loved ones care, as they really don't do a whole lot. Hospice is supposed to be there to allow your loved one to die comfortably and without pain, however that was not the case for my husband. They could not,(despite their efforts)get my husbands pain under control and he suffered greatly in his final weeks. He was on the highest dose of fentanyl possible, along with lorazepam, and haldol, and it didn't touch his pain. They just kept telling me that if I had him brought to their facility, they could then give him stronger medications that would knock him out, but couldn't give those same medications in the home. My husband wanted to die at home, and that's where he died. It was very hard for me to watch the man I love, suffer so in his final weeks here on earth. I know that had I taken him to their facility that he would have died sooner than he did, due to the stronger medications they would have given him, but I do take comfort that my husband got his wish to die at home. Not all hospice agencies are created equal, so if you are considering their help, please do your homework. Because my husband was under their care for so long, I had to stay on top of them all the time. I really don't think they are used to or trained to deal with someone under their services for almost 2 years. At least that was my experience. Now if your loved one is in a nursing facility, it would basically be the same, with a nurse coming in once a week, and an aide coming to bathe them a couple times a week. And I'm sure you would have access to their other services as well. Don't know if that was the info you were looking for, but I hope it helped in some way. Best wishes.
The ultimate goal is to provide comfort and allow the patient to be as pain free as possible. For the family and the patient they offer support, education, supplies, in home care. A Nurse will come once a week, more often if it is needed. The Nurse will order medications that will be delivered to your house (or wherever the patient is living) A CNA will come to help bathe, dress and do some work like change bedding they also order supplies. You will get supplies that you need to care for your loved one. You will get equipment that you need to safely care for your loved one. And you will be taught how to use the equipment. Hospice also will provide Respite care either in the Hospice facility or a Nursing home that they have an agreement with. (about 1 week per year) Hospice also has Social Workers, Chaplains, and other services. (some of this might be remote during the current COVID situation. ) There is a doctor that is consulted when needed. Weekly meetings are held where each patient is discussed and the Team is updated with any changes. I honestly could not have cared for my Husband the way I did if it were not for Hospice. Oh, Hospice is not necessarily 6 months or fewer to be eligible. As long as there is a continued, documented decline a person can remain on Hospice. (My Husband was on Hospice for just under 3 years.) As long as there is a condition that is life limiting a person could qualify for Hospice and the person is not seeking treatment for the condition that makes them eligible for Hospice. And an important thing...Hospice does not over medicate people to kill them.
Basically Hospice is "end of life care" and agencies help to provide more care, and more directed care. Hospice has members of every facet of care from RN or aid, to clergy support to social workers. They are ordered by an MD when it is understood that it is very likely the patient has no more than 6 months to live (often they are wrong and hospice care goes on much longer. Hospice care is covered by medicare and will provide special equipment free of charge such as hospital bed. Hospice is trained in pain control and will keep a patient who is suffering from pain comfortable with administration of pain medications. Hospice is only ordered when the patient and family understand that the patient is in fact dying, and that the patient no longer wishes treatment and diagnositics (excepting for painful conditions such as UTI, wound care, many other things.)
If you have other questions you should speak to MD, to Hospice itself, and do some research online. If you go to search bar above (magnifying glass in your timeline) and type in "hospice" you may find information to help guide you in more knowledge.
Not all hospice agencies are created equal, so if you are considering their help, please do your homework. Because my husband was under their care for so long, I had to stay on top of them all the time. I really don't think they are used to or trained to deal with someone under their services for almost 2 years. At least that was my experience.
Now if your loved one is in a nursing facility, it would basically be the same, with a nurse coming in once a week, and an aide coming to bathe them a couple times a week. And I'm sure you would have access to their other services as well. Don't know if that was the info you were looking for, but I hope it helped in some way. Best wishes.
For the family and the patient they offer support, education, supplies, in home care. A Nurse will come once a week, more often if it is needed. The Nurse will order medications that will be delivered to your house (or wherever the patient is living)
A CNA will come to help bathe, dress and do some work like change bedding they also order supplies.
You will get supplies that you need to care for your loved one.
You will get equipment that you need to safely care for your loved one. And you will be taught how to use the equipment.
Hospice also will provide Respite care either in the Hospice facility or a Nursing home that they have an agreement with. (about 1 week per year)
Hospice also has Social Workers, Chaplains, and other services. (some of this might be remote during the current COVID situation. )
There is a doctor that is consulted when needed. Weekly meetings are held where each patient is discussed and the Team is updated with any changes.
I honestly could not have cared for my Husband the way I did if it were not for Hospice.
Oh, Hospice is not necessarily 6 months or fewer to be eligible. As long as there is a continued, documented decline a person can remain on Hospice. (My Husband was on Hospice for just under 3 years.)
As long as there is a condition that is life limiting a person could qualify for Hospice and the person is not seeking treatment for the condition that makes them eligible for Hospice.
And an important thing...Hospice does not over medicate people to kill them.