Hospice care services aren’t always talked about, mainly because they are associated with death and dying. That can mean that certain misconceptions and misunderstandings are believed when they shouldn’t be. These are just a few of the different misconceptions that you or your senior might have about hospice. Dispelling these myths can mean that your aging family member gets valuable help that she truly needs a lot sooner and is able to benefit greatly from doing so.
Hospice Care Can Help the Whole Family
Hospice care providers are there for your elderly family member, to help ensure that she’s comfortable and that she is safe. But they are also there for you as your senior’s family caregiver and for the rest of the family. Hospice can help you to find bereavement assistance and other resources that you might need while you’re dealing with this stage of your senior’s journey through life.
Hospice Isn’t Just about Helping Your Senior to Die
Most people only think about hospice in terms of dying, and there are some reasons that are not entirely untrue. But hospice is about helping your elderly family member deal with what she’s facing now, as she is still alive. Hospice offers support with symptoms and helps your elderly family member to be as comfortable as possible, no matter what else she is experiencing.
Your Senior Won’t See Her Doctor Anymore
Lots of people believe that once they enter hospice, they won’t be able to see their doctor anymore. The truth is that hospice keeps your senior’s medical team involved in everything that is going on with her situation. When she does need to see a doctor, she’ll still see her own doctor who knows her case and understands her care.
Only Certain Illnesses Qualify for Hospice Care
You might have heard that hospice is only for serious illnesses, like cancer. But that is not the case. There are some eligibility requirements for hospice, but any life-limiting health situation qualifies for hospice. That means that as long as your aging family member has been told by her doctor that she’s only expected to have six months left to live, she can enter into hospice services.
Hospice Means Your Senior Has Given Up
There is also a common belief that hospice means that everyone involved has just thrown in the towel. That isn’t the case at all. People in hospice aren’t just waiting around to pass away and they don’t pass away faster than they would with other types of care. The entire point of hospice is to ensure that your aging family member is as comfortable as she can be at the end of her life. Very often people who enter hospice end up recertifying for hospice because they extend their lifespan farther than they expected.
Talking about hospice services and understanding what they can do for your elderly family member is an essential part of making sure you’re covering all of the bases in getting her the right care for her needs.
If you or your aging loved one could benefit from Hospice Care Services in Denmark SC, contact the caring staff at Grove Park Hospice, at (803)536-6644.
Providing Hospice & Palliative Care in Orangeburg, Bamberg, & Calhoun Counties
- What Is Terminal Lucidity and How Does End of Life Care Help? - October 20, 2023
- Strategies for Family Caregivers to Manage Anticipatory Grief - October 9, 2023
- Tips for Speaking at a Family Member’s Funeral - September 25, 2023
