Three Questions to Ask When Choosing a Hospice Care Provider
Moving an aging parent or loved one to hospice care is an emotional decision, but hospice can help terminally ill patients live the remainder of their lives in their own homes, surrounded by family. While hospice offers a number of benefits to patients and their family members, it’s important for families to find a provider they can trust to provide kind, compassionate care. These three questions can help families make that decision.
How Is End-of-Life Care Provided? 
Not every hospice service provider is the same, so families will want to understand how care will be provided to their parent or relative. The provider should have a strong focus on end-of-life programs and services, with the ability to provide families with additional care and support as the patient’s health declines or their pain level increases. It’s during this time that caregivers become even more involved; the best hospice providers will arrange for staff to be increasingly present to support the patient and family as the patient approaches their final stages of life.
How Often Will Caregivers Visit?
Members of the care team should visit several times a day as the patient’s health declines, but each patient has unique needs, and they may not require as much attention at first. The family and provider should work together to create a care plan that addresses the patient’s needs, whether that entails round-the-clock assistance or extra help a few days a week. Families also want to find out who will make up the caregiving team, such as trained caregivers, doctors, nurses, social workers, or chaplains, to ensure that the patient’s every need is met.
Is Respite Care Available?
Even with the assistance of caregivers, families often get exhausted while caring for their sick loved one, especially when working full-time and managing a family. Some hospice providers offer respite care, which gives the family a break while ensuring the patient still receives quality care. This allows family members to recharge, focus on their own health, and take care of other obligations with peace of mind.
Arkansas Valley Hospice provides hospice and respite care services to offer comfort and support to terminally ill patients and their families. Choosing a hospice provider is a big decision, and we want you to feel confident that your loved one receives the best possible care during the final stages of life. We are happy to answer all of your questions so that you can make an informed decision. Give us a call today at (719) 384-8827 to speak with a member of our team.
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Site Launch
Our new website is finally up. We’ve worked hard to get a beautiful new site ready and we’re proud to show it off. Thanks for reading our blog. We have lots of great blog posts in the works. Please check back or contact us now to find out how we can help you.