5 Benefits of Early Hospice

“I wish I had known about hospice sooner,” – an everlasting and uneasy phrase we hear in the hospice field far too many times. While the stigma around hospice care is that the family and patient are giving up hope, early hospice care is a way for not only the patient, but the family and caregivers to maximize their quality of life. Hospice care with Legacy Hospice focuses on providing compassionate care, education, and support for all our patients and their loved ones so they are as comfortable as possible. By understanding and accepting that death is part of the life cycle, Legacy Hospice wants to assist you in helping patients and their families make life its most meaningful until the end of life.

1. It Provides a Comprehensive Plan

Before the patient and the family endure the stress of a crisis, early hospice care can help to generate open communication, providing the patient a sense of control and choice. The family can be given the gift of more time to prepare for changes and challenges they will face and in return receive the gift of more time to say goodbye.

2. Pain Management to Avoid Crises

With the help of hospice care, pain and symptoms are addressed and managed sooner and in result helps to avoid crises. Additionally, patients with advanced illnesses, like cancer, who receive hospice care may have less severe symptoms. They can experience a better quality of life, less pain, less shortness of breath, less depression, and less nausea. Caregivers also feel more satisfied with the patient’s care.

3. Reduced Hospital Visits

Patients who receive hospice care are less likely to have unnecessary emergency room or hospital readmissions. With medical advancements and resources available to hospice, we are able to effectively manage the patients care in the home setting which prevents unnecessary hospital readmissions.  Hospital readmissions can possibly cause a traumatic experience to the patient by removing them from a familiar and safe environment away from their loved ones.  In addition, repeat emergency room and hospital readmissions can add out of pocket financial hardships on caregivers.

4. Compassionate/Personal Care

Patients benefit from sustained relationships with the hospice team. Because hospice is focused on living, not dying, people who utilize hospice services early in the course of a life-limiting illness have more time to develop personal and professional rapport with supportive staff and volunteers. The patients and caregivers can discuss end-of-life goals and share their family wishes to help design an optimal plan of care. During the last weeks or days, there may be a time to control a patient’s pain and stabilize symptoms, but the full benefit of the interdisciplinary approach is significantly “shortened.”

5. Lessens Financial Burdens

For many families, hospital bills can be overwhelming. Hospice is paid for entirely by Medicaid, Medicare, VA, Private Insurances, or other sources. The hospice benefit coverage includes hospice care, medications, medical supplies, and medical equipment related to the hospice diagnosis. If a patient does not have Medicare, Medicaid, VA, or Private Insurance, Legacy Hospice will take responsibility for that patients’ needs related to the terminal illness for which they are admitted.

Legacy Hospice works to provide the highest quality end of life care to patients and families through the use of our interdisciplinary team. This team works together to provide expert medical care, symptom management, and emotional support tailored to the patient and their family. Legacy Hospice is committed to our patient’s utmost comfort, dignity, and peace. Let Legacy guide you through the uncertainty of the seasons in life. Get started today: https://legacyhospice.net/