Comprehensive and compassionate hospice in Los Angeles, CA offers comfort and support for individuals, together with their families, facing life-limiting illness. The goal is not to pursue a cure, but to make the end-of-life as rich and meaningful as possible with minimal discomfort. If you’re considering hospice care for yourself or a loved one, factor in these five advantages to help you make a final decision.
What is hospice care?
Hospice care aims to provide comfort and maintain the quality of life of patients with a life-threatening illness and their families. People who are eligible for hospice services include those experiencing:
Increasing fatigue, weakness, and somnolence
Declining mental abilities
Recurring infections
Changing functional and cognitive capabilities
Compromised Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), like bathing, dressing, eating, etc.
Multiple hospitalizations within six months
Progressive weight loss
Skin breakdown, like pressure sores or wounds that don’t fully heal.
The difference between hospice and traditional treatment lies in their objectives. Unlike traditional care which aims to provide treatment in the hopes of curing patients, hospice care focuses on giving individuals holistic comfort and dignity as death approaches. When attempts to cure their condition are stopped or are no longer effective, hospice often becomes the best choice.
To qualify for hospice care, the hospice medical director and the patient’s physician must certify that the person is terminally ill and has six months or less to live if the disease runs its normal course. For patients who have a prognosis longer than six months or for those continuing to seek curative treatments, can opt for palliative care in Los Angeles instead.
5 Benefits of Hospice Care
Transitioning from active treatment to hospice can be a difficult decision, but it’s often one of the best options for individuals in their final days. Faith and Hope Hospice in Los Angeles, CA offers unique advantages compared to other end-of-life care options. These include:
Sense of Dignity
Even when cure is no longer an option, patients still have the chance to live and die in a dignified manner of their choosing, instead of undergoing invasive procedures or getting hooked up to noisy machines, which are unlikely to provide any significant benefit.
Familiar Environment
Hospice care allows patients and their families to choose where to receive the service. It creates a strong sense of comfort and familiarity, especially when the service is provided at their place of residence.
Financial Relief
Medical and hospital bills can be an overwhelming burden for families, especially when those interventions are no longer working. Not only does hospice help ease this burden, but it is also covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance. It’s a great way to reduce out of pocket expenses without losing quality care.
Involvement of Family and Friends
The presence of family and friends is crucial in providing comfort and prolonging the life of a terminally ill patient. All too often, however, this is hard to achieve in hospital settings which limit visitors and visitation times. Hospice care at home allows the patient to spend their time surrounded with the love of those closest to them.
Comprehensive Care Plan
Hospice care is fully customized for each patient, allowing them to receive optimum medical, psychological, social, and spiritual support from an interdisciplinary team. Hospice care also provides all medical equipment and medication, as well as 24/7 support.
Join Our Circle of Care
Aside from the five benefits we listed above, hospice care offers many other avenues for comfort and care. To learn more, contact Faith and Hope Hospice at 818-559-1460, and one of our knowledgeable representatives will be happy to answer all your questions. We are confident that Faith & Hope Hospice is the best choice for hospice in Los Angeles.
Get In Touch With One Of Our Knowledgeable Advisors
We are ready to help you or a loved one during the end of life process by creating a fully customized care plan.