What are the benefits of working with hospice
You are a trusted resource for your residents and an asset to their families. When you have a resident that is coping with an advanced illness, hospice care can help. Hospice will integrate advance care planning, palliative care and hospice care into your resident’s care plan, so your resident can continue to remain in their home. The focus will be on comfort and quality of life, helping each resident live life to the fullest.
Benefits of working with hospice include
Specialized support for more medically complex residents
Ease of resident admission to the appropriate care
24/7 telephonic triage
Improved resident quality of life
Enhanced resident and family communication and satisfaction
Reduced resident anxiety
Fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions and emergency room visits
Avoid burdensome facility transitions
Assistance managing medication orders
Hospice collaborates with the assisted living facility staff to help meet the patient’s needs and to provide additional care for family members, such as helping with communication and providing emotional support and updates to families.
When is hospice the right choice?
There are several factors which may make hospice an appropriate level of care for an assisted living resident. They include:
A significant decline in resident’s physical or mental health status
The resident requires frequent visits to the MD’s office or the Emergency Room
The resident’s level of mobility has declined requiring frequent intervention by facility staff
The resident is losing weight which is not intentional
The resident is becoming weaker and requires more assistance with activities of daily living
The underlying disease is progressing at a rapid rate or a new diagnosis has been identified
The resident has recently chosen to stop aggressive treatment options
For residents in a steady decline or for those given a 6-month or less prognosis, hospice may be a comforting option and may even be recommended by the facilities social worker. Most agencies develop collaborations with the assisted livings in order to provide the patients with the best care possible.
Death is an inevitable journey that we will all face one day, for our residents we can guide them with peace and dignity.
