Death is an uncomfortable subject, and it is one that even professionals in the healthcare industry try to avoid. When the subject comes up, the trend is to fix the problem with medicines, surgical procedures or other interventions. While these options certainly have their place, they are sometimes less than beneficial in the final weeks and days of life.
The Disadvantages of Treating Death
When the waning days of life are given over to intensive treatments and prolonged hospitalizations, many things are lost. The person who is dying loses opportunities to cope with this final stage of life and say goodbye to family and friends. Those who are supporting their loved ones also miss out on precious opportunities to come to terms with their loss and create final memories with the person they love. For this reason, the National Institute on Aging is currently emphasizing the need for non-curative care options when death is impending and inevitable.
The Need for Hospice in San Gabriel Valley
The population of elderly people in Pasadena and across the United States will continue to increase in the coming years, with projections as high as double the number by 2050, and this will impact our community’s need for proper medical support when death is near. While invasive procedures and intensive treatments often are not the answer, services provided through hospice are.
The Role of Hospice in Pasadena
Pasadena hospice care involves working with an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, volunteers, chaplains and social workers to provide dying individuals and their family members with peace, comfort and understanding. The care provided is not meant to speed up or slow down the dying process, but instead, it provides individuals with the holistic support they need to meet death with dignity and in comfort. Services are provided in the setting that best meets the needs of the patient whether that is at home, in the hospital or in a San Gabriel Valley long term care facility. One of the greatest benefits of hospice care is that it allows dying individuals continued opportunities to experience a higher quality of life until their lives come to an end.
Making Decisions
For most individuals, hospice care in San Gabriel Valley is free of charge because insurance plans and Medicare cover the costs of these services if they are prescribed by a physician. Some physicians remain hesitant to request hospice services in lieu of attempting to prolong life with painful and potentially fatal treatments, but those professionals should consider quality of life and give patients choices as the end of life nears. It is also important for family caregivers in Pasadena to speak up when terminal illnesses are diagnosed so they can understand the prognosis and help their loved ones to make educated decisions.
The time is right for seniors in Pasadena and across the country to rethink the way they are dying. Honestly examining the benefits of hospice care versus continuing with interventions decreases harm and provides individuals with important time with family and friends during this difficult stage of life. Hospice services increase quality of life for San Gabriel Valley seniors and their family members, and that is why Salus Homecare continues to support this important program. Our Pasadena in home aides and homecare professionals work in conjunction with hospice care providers to give our clients the dignity, respect and empathy that they deserve when death is upon them. Answers to your questions about in home care and hospice are just a phone call away. Contact us anytime to learn more.
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