Hospice Care - What You Should Know

Baby Boomers are beginning to reach the age when they, their spouse, or their elderly parents may be nearing the end of their lives.  This new challenge brings with it a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty, as well as the possibility of pain and discomfort.  Although we would all prefer the end of our lives to be as easy and peaceful as possible, we are not sure how to bring this about.  One way to get the help you need is to call on hospice to provide assistance during the final months of life.

This week we have a special guest post by Lucille Rosetti from TheBereaved.org.  She has written a book called "Life After Death - A Wellness Guide for the Bereaved."  You can use the above link to her website to contact her for more information about her book.  In the thoughtful post below, she discusses common questions people have about hospice.

Three Questions to Ask When Considering Hospice Care

by:  Lucille Rosetti

When people run out of options for curing or treating an illness, they and their families often have to make some difficult decisions. No one wants to see a family member in pain or discomfort, so hospice care is frequently one of the options on the table.

For most of our lives, medical decisions are fairly simple and easy — take this antibiotic, or eat more vegetables. However, for people facing the end of their lives, the decisions are rarely simple and never easy. You have a lot of questions, so here are a few basic answers to help make you and your loved one feel more comfortable about hospice care.

What can I expect from hospice care?  Comfort.

Hospice care is relatively diverse, so the nuances of what to expect vary greatly depending on your needs. In general, the goal of hospice care is to give someone the best possible life they can have in whatever time remains. Some people mistakenly think hospice care is only for those who are about to die. In reality, hospice care is about providing physical comfort to those whose terminal illness is no longer responding to treatment. There is a misconception that hospice care is a last resort, or that it only occurs shortly before death. While that is true in some cases, there are many people who live for several months or even longer in hospice care.

Who will be caring for my loved one?  Professionals.

Depending on your situation, you may have a variety of caregivers in your hospice team, from nurses to dieticians to personal care assistants to social workers. Taking the time to get to know the individuals on your hospice care team will reduce negative emotions, such as anxiety or awkwardness, and help everyone work together with more compassion and empathy. Building rapport with the team will help both you and your loved one have an easier time trusting the professionals and understanding medical decisions.

This is especially true for the hospice care social worker. Their job is to provide support and comfort to your loved one, making sure their wishes are understood. These are highly trained professionals, and they must have a master’s degree in social work, which often includes around 1,000 hours of hands-on practical experience. 

Some people may wish for their loved one to receive care from a licensed osteopath, who can provide a more holistic approach. However, while Medicare doesn’t offer coverage for holistic medicine, they do offer coverage from physicians who are licensed as osteopaths. If you would like expanded coverage for your loved one, consider looking into a Medicare Advantage plan, which offers a number of different options for you and your family to explore.  (Some Medicare Supplements may also offer you choices which will fit your needs.  You should always explore the best Medicare plan for your situation well in advance of needing hospice care or any other specialized treatments.)

How will I manage things when my loved one passes away? Day by Day.

There are a great many things to do and consider after a loved one passes away. Making sure you have a clear understanding of their end-of-life wishes can make this process exponentially easier. Hospice care workers help ease the burden of end-of-life care for family members and caregivers, but they won’t be involved in how to manage the burden after death.

To keep things running smoothly, be sure your loved one shares their important documents with you, such as their will, insurance information, living will, asset information, and financial records. Your hospice care team can help you know which documents you need and help you start difficult conversations with your loved one about end-of-life arrangements. Talk to them about how they want to be remembered: funeral or memorial, burial or cremation, flowers or donations. 

Moving into hospice care can be scary. To many, it signifies that your loved one has entered the final stages of life. The emotional turmoil can be draining for you and your family member entering hospice. You can find comfort in remembering that hospice care isn’t about dying. It is about prioritizing comfort, living life to the fullest, and celebrating a person surrounded by love.

Our thanks to guest poster:  Lucille Rosetti

If you are interested in more information about common medical issues as we age, Medicare, Social Security, where to retire, financial planning and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of additional helpful articles.  

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  provided by Lucille Rosetti - photo from Pexels

How Hospice Care Works

As I've gotten older, one of the phrases that I have come to dread is when I hear that a friend or relative is now on hospice care.  What I learned over the past few years is that this means they are probably only going to live a few more months because of a serious health issue such as inoperable cancer or failing organs.  However, I never wanted to ask the patients I knew who were on hospice any detailed questions about their care, so I was never quite sure what it entailed.  As a result, I was pleased to read an article about it in the "Answers" book provided by the local Council on Aging.

Since this is something that many Baby Boomers will encounter at some point in their lives, either for themselves, their aging parents or a spouse, I thought many of you might want to know more about this service, too.

The Goal of Hospice

The reason for hospice care is simple.  It is there to prevent and relieve the suffering of a dying person, while providing them with a better quality of life during their final months of life.

A Team Approach

Hospice care involves a team of medical personnel who are there to provide emotional, social and spiritual support for both the patient and their loved ones.   Typically, the team will include a hospice doctor, a nurse, a social worker, a hospice aide and other staff members such as chaplains or volunteers.  The patient's personal doctor may also work with them to provide continuity of care.

When Does the Care Start?

Usually people are referred to hospice when they are only expected to live six months or less.  However, length of time can be extended if the person survives longer than expected.  In fact, it can go on as long as the patient continues to meet the criteria.

Where Does the Care Take Place?

Usually the care takes place in the patient's home, even if their home is an assisted living facility, a nursing home or some other type of long-term care facility. Of course, it can also take place in a private home where the patient is being cared for by family or home healthcare assistants.

What Types of Care are Provided?

There are different levels of care, depending on the patient's needs, and the type of care the patient receives can change as time goes by.  The care may include prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications to ease suffering, as well as medical equipment and supplies to treat their medical condition and make them more comfortable.

Does Insurance Cover Hospice?

Hospice care is covered under Medicare, MediCal and most private insurance companies. For people on Medicare and MediCal, there is no cost to the patient or family.  Coverage varies for people with private insurance, so you need to contact your insurance company for details.

What are the Benefits?

Many people with a terminal disease prefer to spend their last weeks or months of life at home, rather than in a hospital.  Hospice care makes this possible for the majority of patients.  They will provide whatever level of care is necessary to prevent the patient from needing to be hospitalized.  If a problem arises, the patient can call their hospice provider, rather than 911.

What If You Change Your Mind?

In some situations, a patient may change their mind about receiving hospice care and may decide they want to try to fight their medical condition longer.  This is particularly true if a new type of treatment becomes available.  If so, the patient can revoke their hospice placement and return to acute care services.

How Do You Find a Provider?

Most communities have a variety of hospice care providers.  If you or a loved one has reached this stage of life, your doctor, hospital, insurance company, or case worker can give you a list of  local companies that provide this service.  You may also want to talk to the families of people who have used the services of the various providers.

Before you select a company, be sure to do a little research on them and get your questions answered.  Find out if there are costs that may not be covered by insurance or Medicare, how many people will be on your team, how often they will visit, the services that will be provided, whether or not a doctor will visit and if there is a 24-hour care program, should that become necessary. 

In most cases you have a choice of providers so you want to be sure to select a hospice company that will provide the patient with the best quality of life possible.

You can get more information from:

http://www.hospicefoundation.org
800-854-3402

If you are interested in learning more about medical issues or other concerns that could affect you in retirement, use the tabs at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional informative articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.Baby-Boomer-Retirement.com

Photo credit:  www.morguefile.com