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.
