Celebrate National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

In November, we acknowledge all hospice and palliative care workers providing health, security, and peace of mind to many families. When you sign up for palliative or hospice care, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you or your loved one will receive relief from pain and around-the-clock care.

As we celebrate hospice and palliative care, take a look at some of these facts:

• Hospice has provided comfort and dignity to those in their final months for over 40 years.
• Hospice attends to emotional, spiritual, and social needs.
• Palliative care can improve the quality of life through any stage of a serious illness.
• Hospice organizations are the best providers of palliative care.
• 61 million Medicare beneficiaries received hospice care benefits in 2019.

Consider all the dedication that goes into caring for each patient in palliative care.

Our dedicated team loves the work we do to stay involved with your loved one’s care for the duration of their palliative or hospice care.

What You May Not Know About Hospice and Palliative Care Workers

When you sign up for palliative or hospice care, you ensure that your loved one receives the comfort they need. Hospice care at home includes a nurse on-site to visit and tend to the needs of each patient in their own home. The tasks can include:

• Prescription management
• Pain management
• Bathing and hygiene care
• Food services
• Cleaning tasks
• Listening ear
• Companionship to play games or read together

When your loved one enters hospice, it does not always mean they are at the end of their life. Sometimes, their condition improves after their body receives relaxation and top-notch services from the hospice team. Palliative care is a temporary need to guide patients back to independence.

Such close attention to the patient’s needs provides reprieve for the family caretaker as well. Caretaker fatigue is real, and the hospice team’s visits give the family member time to focus on their own needs.

This may mean an opportunity to run to the grocery store, exercise, or visit a friend. Then, when the family caretaker gets time to recharge, they can get back to attending to the patient with a fresh perspective.

Choosing the Right Hospice and Palliative Care Team

Do your due diligence in researching a quality hospice service for your loved one. You can take a tour of the facility or meet with the nurses and doctors who will be visiting your home.

Ask questions to understand the safety practices and protocols that will make you feel good about bringing medical staff into your home.

We encourage all Americans to increase their knowledge about person-centered, holistic care for all individuals facing serious and life-limiting illnesses, discuss their healthcare wishes with those they care about, and mark this month with appropriate learning and sharing.

At Bonita Springs Healthcare Services, we rise to the top of hospice and palliative care and provide the comfort and care you need. Please call with questions about your medical needs.