Does Hospice Cover 24-Hour Care at Home?
Supporting and caring for a loved one with a terminal illness can be both challenging and emotionally intense. Family members often wish to help but may need more time or specialized training to provide proper care, especially during difficult moments. Hospice care can deliver 24/7 support at the patient’s home if required.
Levels of Hospice Care
A doctor typically recommends hospice care when they determine that a loved one has a life expectancy of about six months or less. Hospice care focuses on the quality and comfort of life rather than trying to cure the illness.
Four levels of hospice care support a patient at all steps of their end-of-life journey.
- Routine care is the basic level of hospice care. Hospice individuals frequently visit the patient’s home and give a 24/7 call to help and advise.
- General inpatient care is available in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and specialized hospice houses.
- Respite care is temporary support offered in a nursing home or similar facility, giving family caregivers a temporary break from their caregiving responsibilities.
- Continuous home care is delivered in the patient’s home, offering constant support for 8 to 24 hours a day during times of crisis. This level of care is required when symptoms intensify.
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When is 24-hour hospice care at home needed?
Continuous hospice care may be necessary for individuals experiencing acute symptoms who wish to avoid hospitalisation. Patients may require 24-hour support from hospice professionals to manage end-of-life symptoms, including:
- Breathing difficulties
- Agitation and anxiety
- Uncontrolled pain
- Change in consciousness
- Nausea and vomiting
Continuous care services primarily address medical needs and are delivered by skilled professionals such as nurses. These services also support families and assist in decision-making and grief counselling.
When to start hospice care?
Determining when to start hospice care is complicated. Most people wait until the final weeks or days to begin hospice care, while others opt for it when a medical condition is deemed incurable. A doctor may recommend hospice care for a loved one if their time is limited because of the natural course of a disease or illness.
Hospice care support and services may include:
- Personal care
- Medication management
- Homemaker services
- Companionship
- Help with activities of daily living
- 24/7 communication with a registered nurse
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Availability of community resources
- Help with completing paperwork and making final arrangements
- Access to medical equipment, oxygen, and other necessary supplies
Signs that a Person May Benefit from Hospice Care
Hospice care is not only beneficial for those with life-limiting conditions, but starting it earlier can also provide valuable support, enabling families to spend quality time with their loved ones.
Here are a few situations where hospice care can provide support:
- A desire to stop curative treatment
- Diagnosis of a life-limiting illness
- A concern of burdening loved ones
- Medical and personal support needs increase
- Increase in pain or nausea
- Breathing changes
- Repeated hospitalizations or emergency room visits
- Decreased alertness or increased sleeping
When Hospice Care at Home Isn’t Enough
Continuous hospice care is important at the end of life, but hospice providers cannot offer 24-hour in-home care all the time. That’s way patient’s condition worsens, they may experience more discomfort and require 24-hour care in a facility. In these cases, the hospice team or primary doctor may recommend other options, like inpatient hospice care.
Providing care for a loved one during their end-of-life stages of life can be challenging both physically and emotionally. The Heart 2 Heart HomeCare offers family caregivers a space to ask questions, discuss options, and seek advice and support from others navigating similar circumstances.
The Right Hospice Care Whenever You Need
Hospice care allows families to focus on enjoying quality time together and making the most of their loved one’s remaining moments.. For compassionate hospice care tailored to your family’s needs, consider Heart 2 Heart Home Care.
If you have any questions, contact our caring and experienced team.