What do you picture when you think of your house or flat? Do you recognise this place? A room full of treasured possessions and memories of a life well-lived? Someplace where you and your loved ones have cherished memories for years if not decades?
Those who have spent their lives perfecting their homes—accumulating priceless artefacts, perfecting family recipes, and decorating their homes with photographs of far-flung places and loved ones—tend to associate the word “home” with feelings of warmth and contentment.
A person who is terminally ill should prioritise comfort above all else. For many people, receiving palliative care for a loved one at home through a hospice is the best option. Please keep reading to find out why so many people are choosing hospice care at home in the comfort of their own homes.
Why Is It Better to Receive Hospice Treatment at Home?
- Compassionate Care
Hospice care at home strongly emphasises the patient's and their loved ones' spiritual and emotional health. In addition to their extensive medical training, hospice workers and at-home carers are well-versed in supporting a patient's emotional and mental well-being.
Home health nurses have the unique opportunity to get to know their patients personally, provide comfort during difficult times and answer their patients' questions (both medical and emotional) about end-of-life care. Hospice workers play dual roles as medical attendants and emotionally support their patients.
- The Caregiver's Constant Availability
A hospice care at home usually assigns you to the same nurse or aide. Your loved one will be cared for by the same person every day, unlike the hospital setting, where everyone and everything is subject to change.
Additionally, hospice care programmes provide the same round-the-clock emergency care as hospitals, with the comfort of familiar surroundings. Your family members would always have access to their care team for any help they might need, whether medical or emotional.
- Patient-Caregiver Bonds That Are Stronger
When patients receive hospice care at home, they and their carers can grow close to one another. Spending time with the same person regularly (daily or weekly) makes it easier to open up and forge closer relationships. It is difficult to develop such a bond in a hospital setting, where different nurses or doctors may have varying interactions with the patient.
Being at home can make a carer feel more like family, even if they are only there temporarily.
- Decreased Stress for Carers
Caregiving exhaustion, or “carer burnout,” is a common problem among the loved ones of those who is terminally ill or severely injured.
Families may benefit from a hospice nurse visiting their loved ones at home. Knowing that a trained expert cares for your loved one frees you to focus on your needs.
In addition, family members are often relied upon to carry out routine errands and responsibilities. Having to manage the household chores of multiple families can be stressful and lead to carer burnout.
Fortunately, hospice carers can also assist with mundane tasks like grocery shopping, meal preparation, medical attention, and emotional support.
Conclusion
Before switching from institutional healthcare to hospice, it's important to consider your loved one's wishes and needs when weighing the pros and cons.
Choosing to transition to hospice care at home is a major life change. Finding a professional provider of hospice care services to care you or your loved one need is the next step after deciding to look into at-home options and weighing the pros.
