What is hospice care? What must happen in order for a patient to enter hospice care? What services does hospice offer to a patient?
Hospice sees family + patient as the unit of care. Please comment on the value/wisdom/difficulty of such an orientation.
Hospice is a program made to provide a caring environment for meeting the physical and emotional needs of the terminally ill. In order to have hospice care, you must be terminally ill either physically, emotionally or mentally.
ReplyDeleteHospice is sort of seen as a last type of care for a patient. It is something that ensures that the patient is comfortable and in a warm environment, including their home. I think that Hospice is a wonderful care unit. I have only had to witness someone with hospice care once but just that one time was a wonderful one. The nurse was always on call. She did not stay all the time because we wanted to take care of the patient. She explained all of the medicine that the patient was on and how to administer it. The nurse was extremely caring and it definitely helped us, the family, feel better and more reassured about what was happening because we knew our loved one was in good hands.
A patient goes to hospice when they are terminally ill in order to received palliative care that cannot be given at home. Hospice offers the patient the ability to die without too much pain and (as Stacey said) provides a way to meet emotional and physical needs of those who have a terminal illness.
ReplyDeleteThe terminal illness of a patient does not just affect the patient. It also affects their family, and that is why it is good for hospice to treat them as a unit. Both special needs due to the situation that need to be met. For instance, the family needs to feel like they are actively present in the remaining moments of the dying patient's life, and hospice must facilitate the family's ability to care for their loved one while still assuring that the correct amount of care and medication is being administered. It is a balance that may be somewhat difficult to maintain, but is worth the time and effort because it truly helps to alleviate some of the stress and pain that comes from a terminal illness.
Hospice performs a necessary function in medical care. Palliative care is a facet of basic car, which is a positive human right. Hospice reduces pain, and facilitates a good death. This is certainly not to say, however, that Hospice promotes active Euthanasia, but passive.
ReplyDeleteHospice care is to provide comfort to both the patient and the family which makes them the glue that holds the treatment unit together. The main goal of treatment is that of pain management and providing comfort to the family. This type of treatment is not to be confused with passive euthanasia because there are still medical interventions that are taking place with the consent of the dying person. The purpose is to have patients die of their long term ailment rather than complications to treatments. The family is also being supported by the physicians and has the opportunity to ask questions. This style of treatment is not meant for the long term because it will bleed the system of resources. This should only be allowed to seriously ill patients who are going to die of their illness rather than using this as a subsidized nursing home. Nursing homes are for those who are chronically ill and may die of their illness but who are not in immanent danger of death. Hospice is for those who are in imminent danger of death and who need the aggressive pain treatment. Just some thoughts on hospice.
ReplyDeleteHospice care is to ensure the comfort for not only the patient but the family as well in a more personal manor. There specialty is making sure that the patient feels and endure minimal pain. In my experiences with those who work for Hospice care they are there for you and encourage that you ask question at any point of care. I completely agree with Joel, I think that this needs to only be for the seriously ill and if it’s used as a nursing home that it takes away space for those who actually need the care.
ReplyDeleteI's not really sure if I like the idea of hospice care. The word itself has a negative connotation to me, so I can even really imagine what it must feel like to be taken care of in that social atmosphere. I do realize it has more benefits and personal attention, but why does it have to be for someone in hospice. Why can't that person be treated the same wherever they are. I don't know if it is a good thing but I have not been in a hospital lately or often for that matter, but I guess I see things as people at "similar" stages of health are in the same area of the hospital. So I don't see the need for a completely different section that has this negative connotation along with the name.
ReplyDeleteHospice care is supposed to be for people that are on the last leg of life. It is supposed to make the last little bit of life more comfortable to make passing tolerable not only for the pateint but for the family of the patient. Hospice people make a real difference for the family when my grandpa was passing they were very helpful and considerate in aleviating pain and stress. I really appreciated the hospice nurses and all they did they are a great asset to those going through death.
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