There is nothing more tragic in this world than losing a loved one. Regardless of your age, we all face our own mortality, which is a subject we discuss very little. Some people know the end is coming for a long time and sometimes it can come up out of nowhere. While it’s devastating to lose someone, it can be a profound experience to send someone off with compassion and love at the end of their life.
Some people live full and long lives, but many others are robbed of the chance to do the same. Life is short, fragile and special, and should be treated as such in every way. The past year has shed light on the areas where due care is provided, and the areas where disregard for life is shown in a horrible manner. It’s disheartening to learn about how terminally ill obese individuals are less likely to get hospice care, or the stories of people having to say goodbye to loved ones over the phone. A person shouldn’t be denied the opportunity to die with loved ones by their side. Compassionate and thoughtful care is vital to helping someone live the best quality of life possible before they pass on peacefully.
The act of being able to say goodbye to someone is a profoundly moving experience, and it’s an unfortunate reality that millions of people don’t have the opportunity to do this. While it’s a terrifying thing to face death, it can also be a beautiful and cherished experience, which is why hospice care is so vital for helping families cope with losing a loved one. Allowing them to leave this world peacefully and with dignity is an important standard; here are some reasons why.
Lessening the Financial Burden
Even if you have insurance to cover medical bills, it can still be costly to receive unexpected care. Having access to hospice care, which is often covered by insurance, gives patients peace of mind that there will be a plan for the many different situations or factors that can occur at the end of life. Patients can still be cared for at home, as there are many ways doctors can remotely communicate with patients. This helps you to avoid any out-of-pocket surprises, and allows families to save the costs of constant medical fees associated with appointments, gas, parking or anything else that may arise. Even food costs can add up when you’re eating out between appointments or ordering delivery when you’re too exhausted to cook when you get home. Not everyone knows how much a funeral costs, but it can make a terrible experience even worse. Having some plans in place ahead of time can ease the stress during the aftermath of grief.
Quality Care
It’s difficult for families to care for a loved one, especially if they don’t have a medical background. There are many factors to consider on top of the emotional toll it takes on everyone around them. Many families will take time to travel to and from appointments, which can be emotionally taxing. Hospice care can also be known as palliative care, but that doesn’t mean a person is always near the end of their life. It simply means that they will have help that allows them to live the best quality of life possible with the best quality care.
Palliative care involves having a plan to ensure someone is comfortable by managing their symptoms and ensuring they have access to mental support. This type of care can take place at a facility, hospital or even at home, if that’s where a person is most comfortable. This care even allows people the benefit of having a hospital bed installed in the home. There are many services that employ responsible and considerate staff to come into your home to help care for a patient. Having a reliable and thoughtful care team in place is so helpful to ensure your loved one is living the best quality of life as possible and helping you cope by taking away some of the burden.
Time Together
If you have been caring for a loved one during old age or illness and you are reaching the inevitable end, hospice care can serve to benefit you as well. Having your loved one cared for by compassionate caregivers allows you the time to say goodbye, to focus on being with each other and not having to worry about the other parts of the terrible process. It’s one of the most important benefits of hospice care. This is especially true if you receive hospice care at home, it takes away the physical and stressful pain of having to go out of your home to appointments and interact with the world that might not be in the same place as you. Spending time at home allows everyone to spend quality and peaceful time making new memories together while still getting excellent health care.
Dignity
When a person has to rely on others to do the things they are no longer capable of, it can be a devastating experience for them. For some patients, it’s difficult to have their family perform these deeply personal tasks, and that’s where hospice care can come in to help. Allowing professionals to take care of the physical tasks your loved one requires can remove the burden of feeling helpless around their family. It also saves you from the difficult and traumatic memories that can arise in some situations. Most importantly, a hospice is a safe space where death is celebrated and your loved ones spirit is cherished with dignity at the end of their life.
As you get older you may think of this reality more often, but there are several ways to prepare for a healthy retirement so you don’t find yourself worrying about receiving home care later in life. However, if it does end up that way there are many places like Husky Senior Care that provide compassionate hospice services in your own home, allowing you and your loved one to remain comfortable where you are to say goodbye.
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