When Life Turns Upside Down

Having a bucket list and crossing things off it is a great privilege denied to many people. All too often, there are stories like this: “We were going to travel the country. We saved and planned, bought the RV, and my wife got cancer.”

Because you never know what the future holds, it’s important to do what you’re saving for someday as soon as possible. Tomorrow is a gift that we’re not promised.

 

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Life’s Unexpected News

What if you received test results from your doctor that you have an illness and would pass away in six months? What trips would you take, what conversations would you have, and what things would you want your family to know? Would you worry about how they’d get by? Would you like to pass away at home, in a hospital, or in a residential care setting?

These are the what-ifs no one wants to entertain until they’re put in this unfortunate position. If you faced this situation, where would you turn for help?

Some might reach out to their religious leaders, others find therapists, and some find solace through hospice. Exploring hospice is complicated. Not only do people not want it because they’d prefer to live as they planned and are upset with their circumstances, but also because many don’t realize you don’t have to be actively dying to enroll. Because of that idea, the national average for hospice enrollment is around three weeks.

When it’s possible to enroll in hospice sooner, patients and their families may have more emotional support. When the doctors can’t do anything more, when there are no more trial treatments or cures, hospice can pick up the pieces.

Hospice Provides Education & Comfort

Hospice teams include medical doctors, nurses, chaplains, social services staff, and volunteers. Your team can help you better understand your situation and how to live each day of your last chapter as YOU wish.

Although we’ll all die someday, most of us spend our entire lives looking away from death. Many of us don’t know what the process entails. Hospice can educate the patient and their family on what the stages may bring and what comfort measures are available to help.

Here are some additional thinking points in favor of hospice:

Hospice Provides Quality of Life

The care and skilled medical oversight provided by hospice can help those at the end of their life to have quality time as they approach the end. Without hospice, patients might spend their last months, weeks, or days in and out of the hospital trying to manage the incurable symptoms of their condition.

Ambulances, emergency departments, and hospitals are meant to help people get better. When that’s not possible, why spend the time waiting for care in those settings if you could spend your last days where you’re the most comfortable? Hospice brings care, support, and medication to wherever you call home, so you can receive their services where you wish.

Hospice Offers Bereavement Support

While this service is optional, hospice can be there to provide support to families for up to 13 months following a patient’s passing. They do this because just like lasts are hard, so are firsts. First anniversaries, holidays, Mother’s Days and Father’s Days, and birthdays can be emotionally challenging. Staff typically reach out to check in and offer added support or even to be a listening ear during these occasions.

Qualifying for Hospice

Hospices are often funded through Medicare or Medicaid services, but approval can be tricky. If you’re considering hospice for yourself or a loved one, CaringEdge or another provider of your choice can complete an assessment to help you navigate the enrollment process.

Having both assisted living and hospice together can allow someone to have the reassurance that they’re never alone. Together, they offer enhanced peace of mind during an already trying time. With hospice services and assisted living, you’ll be surrounded by staff, peers, your hospice team, and loved ones.

Edgewood’s communities work alongside hospice. Whether they choose CaringEdge, All Care Health Solutions, or another provider, we want each of our residents to have choice and peace if they wish to pass away where they call home. If you have questions about receiving hospice services at Edgewood, please get in touch with us at info@edgewoodhealthcare.com.

Why You Should Look At Senior Living Differently

 

Senior living has seen a complete transformation. Today, those looking at senior living don’t need to settle for the sterile, inactive lifestyle it once was. Instead, senior living communities encourage our residents to retain their independence to ensure they thrive socially, physically, and emotionally. Additionally, seniors are moving in because they want to, not because they have to. While Edgewood Healthcare has implemented these philosophies, we continue to adapt our services to fit the needs of residents and create a healthcare lifestyle all under one roof to provide the ultimate of continuum care. Senior living communities owe it to their residents to provide peace of mind that their physical, emotional, and mental well-being will be maintained and elevated through high-quality healthcare, no matter the health journey they may be on!

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The Edgewood Health Network

Officially launched in 2020, our health network offers a holistic team of medical providers who partner with us to offer you the right care and support in the comfort of the resident’s home, wherever they call home. We offer a team of healthcare experts dedicated to not only specialized health services, but also providing education and hands-on training to residents, families, and the greater community.

This “continuum of care” network allows our residents to live their golden years to the fullest. The convenience and availability of these services are specially designed to help our residents maintain independence, allowing them to stay in their homes longer, minimizing the severity of illnesses that could result in hospital or emergency room visits, and overall, strengthening access to professionals that focus on what seniors want to do rather than what they can’t do.

A Personalized Solution to Fit Your Needs

Robert Ford, President of Edgewood Healthcare, shares that healthcare is all about having choices.

We believe that all of our residents deserve to have the flexibility and options to choose the services they require at the time they need them. While you will, of course, have access to practitioners with the local Edgewood Health Network, your healthcare story is in your hands.

Upon joining the community, you don’t have to leave your current doctor, and we encourage residents to retain their current Primary Care Providers. Our team of specialists will be able to communicate with them regularly and work together to understand the resident’s current care plan and needs.

Our network of healthcare is explained in this video about Ruby and her options, the stress-free process of moving into Edgewood, and the fact that Edgewood’s team will always be there to support Ruby while she’s under their care. We have an extensive range of healthcare services, all of which can be offered to your loved ones under one roof. If an emergency occurs, an In-Home Provider will step in straight away. This is a practice that’s well accepted by hospitals and healthcare groups today, who understand that during the winter months or late at night, it might be impossible for a senior to visit their Primary Care Provider.

Quality Care Every Day

One of the most common misconceptions surrounding senior living is that healthcare is only for when you are sick or injured. We also work to prevent injury or illness. Our compassionate nurses monitor residents daily to ensure they are healthy and thriving. By taking blood pressure readings and offering medication as needed, we can minimize the chance of illness further down the line. Residents are also encouraged to follow procedures that can reduce the likelihood of a fall, offering them an improved quality of life for years to come.

Our nurses take a very personal approach to caring for our residents, and our communication is top-notch when noticing changes. Upon a medical change, nurses will immediately notify our In-Home Provider so that colds, sinus infections, dehydration, or other chronic health conditions can be treated immediately. This proactive approach helps avoid any future or lasting issues and residents are often surprised by the attention to detail and personal approach they are treated with, as we believe that seniors deserve to be treated as individuals.

A Wide Variety of Services

The Edgewood Health Network offers a wide selection of services, including hospice care, home health, and outpatient therapy services through CaringEdge and other partnering providers. Our experienced team will care for you during every chapter of your personal health story. We’ve increased the availability of in-home physicians, outpatient therapy, home health, and hospice services and will work to expand these throughout other communities in the upcoming years.

Wherever you currently are in your healthcare journey, we’ll work to increase your quality of life and offer convenient healthcare to fit your needs. Our services will be delivered right to your door, so you can be supported through every stage of your golden years.

For more information about Edgewood Healthcare and the personalized services we can offer you or your family member, contact info@edgewoodhealthcare.com or find a community near you.

3 Ways Hospice Care Differs from Palliative Care

Senior woman’s hands being held by younger woman’s hands.

If you’ve ever wondered about the difference between “palliative care” and “hospice care”, you are not alone. The two forms of healthcare are often thought to be the same because they both focus on quality of life and provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support to a person diagnosed with an illness or condition.

However, hospice care differs from palliative care in several ways. If you or a loved one are considering these forms of care – or may need to in the future – we explain three of the primary differences below.

 

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Hospice Focuses on End-of-Life Care

While palliative care is offered at any stage of a diagnosis, hospice care involves a team-oriented approach to provide expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support to individuals whose illness has been identified as terminal by their doctors and other medical professionals. Hospice care is only available to patients with a life expectancy of six months or less but can be extended if a person lives longer and their prognosis remains terminal. Patients can use both forms of healthcare at the same time; however, palliative care is best utilized from the beginning of a diagnosis.



Patients in Hospice Care no Longer Receive Treatment to Cure their Disease

Patients who choose palliative care take medication, undergo tests and receive other treatment to cure their disease while minimizing pain and uncomfortable symptoms. Pain control and symptom relief are at the core of hospice care as well, but patients in hospice work with their physicians, hospice team and loved ones to create a treatment plan that no longer focuses on eliminating the disease. Instead, it’s centered around care that enables patients to be pain-free and live each of their final days as fully as possible according to their wishes.

 

Hospice is Covered By Medicare


Another way hospice care differs from palliative care is that it is covered under Medicare Part A if the patient meets the following criteria:

              – Their hospice doctor and primary doctor determine they are terminally ill, with
              a life expectancy of six months or less
              – If they choose to use palliative care at the same time, it’s only for comfort rather than to cure
              their illness 
              – The patient signs a statement to choose hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered
              treatments for their terminal illness and related conditions

You may be required to pay a small copay for each prescription and other products that provide pain relief and symptom control while you receive hospice care. Coverage for palliative care depends on your benefits and treatment plan. More information about Medicare benefits is available on www.medicare.gov.

 

Hospice Care

Shared Qualities

Palliative Care
  • Focuses on end-of-life care for patients with terminal diagnoses

  • It does NOT try to cure illness or disease

  • Based on a six-month timeline but can be extended

  • Payment is often covered by Medicare

 
  • Primary goal: comfort and high quality of life for patient and family

  • Provides pain and symptom relief

  • Includes a team of specially trained team of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals

  • Patient-focused treatment according to their needs and wishes

  • A philosophy of care and not a physical structure or place

  • It may not be covered by private insurance
  • Available at any stage of a serious illness

  • Attempts to cure illness or disease while managing pain and symptoms

  • Payment depends on individual insurance plan

  • It can be used at the same time as hospice care

 

We understand this decision can be difficult or uncomfortable to talk about with your loved ones. Our team at Edgewood is here to answer any questions you may have about hospice or palliative care, and to help you start the conversation. To learn more, see our communities or contact us to see if our hospice service is right for you.

Introducing CaringEdge at Edgewood

Allow us to introduce you to our newest service, CaringEdge. CaringEdge includes expert home health care, outpatient therapy, and hospice care, all in your home.

CaringEdge at Edgewood is provided by our in-house professionals or hand-picked local medical providers. We carefully select partners who are equally and passionately committed to making a difference in our clients’ and patients’ lives by providing the highest-quality services to promote health, comfort, and independence—all in the convenience of your residence.

Edgewood Healthcare has designed retirement communities to provide seniors with an environment for leading independent, active, and healthy lives as they age. Multiple trips to the doctor or hospital can quickly become a burden in seniors’ lives—that’s where CaringEdge steps in to offer a helping hand.

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Sound like a good fit for you or your loved one’s needs? See below for more information on the outstanding services available with CaringEdge.

Are you recovering from surgery, battling an extended illness, or simply in need of some specialized care to manage your health needs? You could be the perfect candidate for home health care! Our dedicated clinicians will assess your needs, goals, and environment to plan the best way to reach your health goals.

“It is evident that the care of every resident is a priority for your wonderful staff. Your kindness and generosity toward each is obvious.” – Letty F.

Committed to making you stronger on every level, our therapists skillfully evaluate and diagnose potential problems before they lead to more serious conditions or illnesses. We aim to improve residents’ lives by providing exceptional therapeutic care while promoting health, wellness, safety, and function through these services:

 

Our hospice team is here to offer expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to your needs and wishes. We believe everyone has the right to a dignified, pain-free passing with support for families and loved ones.

These CaringEdge services help ease the strain of traveling to receive medical treatments that could be provided in clients’ homes. The physical demands of travel can put seniors at risk of falling, especially during the harsh winter months when slippery conditions are ever-present. Direct care in the client’s home environment encourages better health, comfort, and independence.

“Having these additional on-site programs means that our residents can receive therapy services conveniently and more frequently, enabling quicker recovery from illness or injury,” said Russ Kubik, President of Edgewood Healthcare. “Additionally, the services we can provide through CaringEdge are covered by Medicare and other commercial insurance plans; it’s a win for our residents and other local customers,” continued Kubik.

Are you interested in CaringEdge services for yourself or a loved one? Email us at info@caringedge.com or call us at 1.877.651.5839.