Hospice – Things You Should Know

The word hospice is surrounded by myths and misconceptions which create a fear in the listener’s mind. It’s only when you know about a place like hospice that you understand how it can help you or your dear one in the final journey of life. Professionals at Alpha Omega Hospice share here facts about a hospice that you should know.

What is a Hospice?

A hospice is a place where patients with a terminal illness are taken care of. A team of trained professionals work here for 24 hours a day and provide medical supervision, pain management and mental and spiritual support a patient needs. Hospice is not actually a place, but is concept of caring which can be given anywhere. Along with caring for the patient, the team in a hospice provides mental support to the sorrowful loved ones too.

The concept of hospice was introduced in the 60s in England. It declines old stigmas and considers death as a natural component of life. Hospice care is neither for prolonging life nor for hastening death. It simply lets nature to take over, having a mere focus on letting the patient live her/his life to the fullest in the last days.

How does Hospice Work?

Patients are given hospice care upon the recommendation of a medical professional. An assessment of needs of the patient is conducted by the hospice staff members and a care team is established. A proper care plan is outlined by the primary caregiver together with the hospice team as well as the patient.

As soon as a hospice care is started to a patient, s/he may receive an extensive array of products and services, including:

• Services of a physician
• Regular home visits by licensed and registered nurses
• Home health assistants to help in daily activities, like bathing and dressing
• Counseling
• Medical supplies and equipment like bandages, oxygen, hospital beds, catheters etc.
• Symptom control and pain management
• Volunteers to assist caregivers and support family members
• Special services like speech therapy, nutritional counseling, physiotherapy etc.

How is a Hospice Unique?

Hospice is unique in that it addresses all requirements of a dying patient, not only physical or medicinal, but also emotional and spiritual. Also, it supports near and dear ones of the patient through counseling in and after the ailment.

Alpha Omega Hospice team focuses on giving their patients the highest quality of living in the last stages of their life by reducing their pain level to the lowest, almost non-existent, so that the rest of their life is comfortable. Also they provide a great emotional and spiritual support to their patients to let them live their final days comfortably.