Type of Care

Hospice and Respite Care Guide

Hospice is a philosophy of care that is provided to individuals who are in their final stages of life as the result of a disease or condition that no longer benefits from treatment. Various types of care and support are provided to individuals and their families by hospice care providers to assure that the final days of a person's life are spent with their friends and family members as comfortably as possible. Hospice care is typically provided to patients who have been given less then 6 months to live as the result of the advanced stages of disease such as cancer.

The hospice philosophy of care is aimed at viewing death as the final stage of life and as an eminent process which we all come to. The goal is to enable patients to remain alert and pain free, managing their symptoms so that they can spend quality time with their family members and loved ones despite knowing that they have reached their final days of life. Hospice care focuses on providing patients with medication that will keep them comfortable but does not provide treatment for the disease. At this point it is recognized that the disease is at an advanced stage which is incurable and which is no longer responding positively to treatment.

Hospice care allows patients to maintain their dignity during their final days. Care is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a hospice care provider who works closely with the patient and the family members or loved ones of the patient. Every effort is made to assure the comfort of the patient during this time as well as to provide the family members with support and guidance that they need to remain strong during this difficult time.

Services Provided by Hospice

Various services are provided by hospice care providers. An interdisciplinary health care team usually manages the care provided by hospice to assure that all healthcare providers are working together to care for the patient. Palliative care is provided to relieve the symptoms that a patient may have and support is provided socially, emotionally and spiritually to assure the patient's comfort.

Hospice care providers will help a patient to maintain pain despite the decision to stop treatment for a disease which has reached a terminal point. The goal of pain management and symptom control is to help the patient remain comfortable and in full (or as close to full as possible) control of their life. Side effects are managed to help the patient remain pain free and to minimize symptoms as much as possible without reducing quality of coherence or eliminating the patient's ability to make coherent decisions.

Hospice care providers work with patients and their families to provide care and guidance for various spiritual needs. Understanding that all people differ in terms of spiritual needs and their individual religious beliefs, hospice care providers aim at helping the individual look into specific topics related to their own life, what death means to them, how they can say good bye to friends, family members and loved ones and various other spiritually based topics.

Hospice care providers offer various home care services that can help an individual remain in their own home and out of a hospital or nursing home for their final days. They help families in a number of ways including helping with the care of a loved one, helping them to understand end of life care and they also provide various home care services such as cooking, cleaning and light household duties. Hospice can also help to arrange for inpatient care when such care or treatment is necessary.

Another common service that is provided by hospice is respite care. Respite care is provided to a patient so that their family members or caregivers can take a break. Respite care may be provided for up to 5 days at a time allowing family members or caregivers to take some time off whether to take a small vacation, get needed rest or even go to a special event.

Following the loss of a loved one who was provided with hospice care, the hospice care provider will also provide bereavement care. Bereavement is the time of mourning that follows the loss of a loved one. The hospice care provider or the team of hospice providers will work with surviving family members to help them through the grieving process by providing them with support and referrals to additional help when necessary. Hospice care providers can refer family members or the caregivers to various medical or non medical professional help following the loss of a loved one. These services are provided for about a year after the death of a patient.

Where Hospice Care is Provided

Hospice care is provided either in an individual's home, at the hospital, in a long term care facility such as a nursing home or in a private hospice facility. Home based hospice care requires that a member of the family or another caregiver be home at all times with the hospice care provider and the patient. Members of the hospice staff will regularly check in with the caregiver and the patient to provide needed care and services but a primary caregiver will work with the hospice nurse to learn how to provide the necessary care for their loved one.

Hospital based hospice care and hospice care in nursing homes allows patients and their families easy access to a range of health care services. Many hospitals have designated hospice care units or a hospice team that can coordinate with patients, doctors and the families to provide services. In a nursing home, hospice care is provided for patients who require or want hospice care but do not have a live in caregiver at their home.

Finally, some communities have privately or independently owned hospice care facilities. These facilities will provide inpatient care and various home based hospice care services to patients. A private hospice care facility can provide patients who do not have a primary caregiver at home with the care that they need in their inpatient facility.