5 Tips for Navigating a Loved One Resistant to Hospice Care

Your loved one is increasing in age and has stopped seeking curative treatment for a condition they have. Maybe they cannot shower, get dressed, or even walk around the home without assistance. Perhaps they have difficulty breathing or debilitating pain that makes day to day living harder. What can you do?

Did you know hospice care is not only for the end of life? Your loved one may be resistant to hospice care because they think it means death is imminent.  But the fact is that hospice care focuses on improving the quality of life when you have a life limiting illness.

5 Tips for Talking with a Loved One About Hospice Care Options

Educate your loved one on what hospice looks like and how it can benefit their life.

1. Meet with a Trusted Hospice Team: One way to help with concerns around starting hospice care is meeting with a hospice team to answer any questions you might have. When you are face-to-face with an expert, you can get individualized information.
2. Listen to What Worries Them: Listen to what is on your loved one’s mind regarding hospice care. You may be surprised to find out what is actually worrying them.
3. Fill in Missing Information: Educate yourself and your loved one on what day-to-day hospice care will look like. When you discover that hospice care is not only for the final days of life, but you can also reap the benefits of being comfortable and enjoying your life in your current condition.
4. Emphasize the Benefits of Staying in Your Home: Enjoy hospice care from the comfort of home surrounded by your family.
5. Revisit Curative Options: If hospice care is not an option, maybe it is time to revisit curative treatment. Palliative care is available for managing pain and increasing your quality of life while seeking curative treatment.

Knowledge is comforting, and your loved one can receive the information that helps them feel confident in their choice of care.

Please reach out to Bonita Springs Healthcare Services to learn more about what hospice care will look like for your family member. You can meet the team and warm up to the possibility of signing up for care. Most families wish they had signed up sooner than they did when they realized how comforting and beneficial hospice care can be.