Hospice care is designed for those suffering from life-limiting illnesses such as ALS. Hospice care has a team-oriented approach that uses multiple different types of professionals to provide medical care, pain management, symptom management, and emotional and mental support. Hospice will help provide medications, medical equipment and supplies, and other care services.
Hospice care is focused on the quality of life rather than the length of life. It is designed for patients who are in the last phases of incurable diseases and strives to allow them to enjoy their life as comfortably and fully as possible. Hospice care accepts the end-of-life stages and works to treat symptoms of a patient’s illness so he or she can be comfortable, rather than attempting to treat the illness itself.
While hospice care focuses on many aspects of care for the patient, one of the main focuses is relieving their physical discomfort, which can be very prevalent for those suffering from ALS. The hospice care team will have the knowledge of the best medications to help relieve some of this pain. If your loved one suffering from this disease, you should strongly consider hospice care, as it is the best way to help assist them in the last stages of the disease. Be sure to reach out to Harbor Light Hospice for more information about hospice care for ALS and how they can care for your loved one.
1. Care Provided at Home
One of the best benefits of hospice care is that it can be provided in a variety of locations, which means your loved one can reside where they are most comfortable. These locations can include nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, and at home care. When it comes to ALS patients, sometimes symptoms can worsen significantly and the patient can be hospitalized. Hospice care can continue to provide inpatient services 24 hours a day.
2. Focuses on Relieving Pain
The entire goal of hospice care is to relieve pain and allow the patient to be as comfortable as possible. When it comes to ALS, your loved one may experience stiffening of joints, spasms in major muscles, and an inability to move. Your hospice care team will work to create a comprehensive pain management system that strives to relieve your loved one’s pain.
3. Emotional Support For The Patient
What can make hospice care different from other forms of care is the focus on the patient’s quality of life. This includes things like providing medications and working to manage pain, but also to help them spiritually and emotionally as they deal with this difficult illness. While your loved one may be feeling physical relief from their ALS, they may still be suffering if they are not able to process and deal with their situation – hospice care will strive to make sure they have all the tools and help they need to be able to do so. Anxiety and depression can be experienced by long-term ALS patients and make dealing with the disease even more difficult. A hospice worker can help the patient manage their emotions and find spiritual comfort to help increase their overall well-being.
4. Emotional Support For The Family
Another aspect that hospice care can provide over other medical care forms is that the care plan includes the emotional and mental well-being of the family. Having a hospice worker can also allow you to have some rest from caring for your loved one. Hospice can also help the family to make important decisions that can impact the patient’s life. A major benefit for the family members of ALS patients who chose to have hospice care is that once the ALS patient passes away, hospice care is still available to the family for up to 13 months to help them cope and grieve in a healthy manner.
Hospice can provide you with comprehensive training and assistance with caregiving duties so that you can understand how best to care for your loved one. Many people find this training to give them peace of mind that they are doing everything they can to help the person suffering from ALS. With your hospice care, you will have 24-hour phone access to an on-call nurse. This can be a great relief when questions or concerns arise in the middle of the night and you’re not sure what to do. The on-call nurse can even be sent to your home as well.
5. Organized Care For ALS Patients
Hospice is a team-oriented form of care that works to organize and coordinate everything between the hospice worker and the patient’s doctor or neurologist. This is done by a team manager who oversees every aspect of the care. This team includes physicians, nurses, social workers, home aids, counselors, volunteers, etc. Hospices ensure that there are medical supplies and equipment that are necessary for the care and comfort of the patient. Speak to Harbor Light Hospice for more information about hospice care and how to prepare your loved one for receiving hospice care.
