You may feel as a caregiver that it’s difficult to determine when it might be time for hospice care for your family member. You don’t want to make the wrong choice, but how can you tell that it’s the right time? Here are some points to keep in mind while you consider the options.
When Your Family Member Wants to Be Comfortable
At some point, your family member may express that she simply wants to be comfortable. That’s an ideal time to bring hospice care providers into the forefront. They can help your family member to manage any symptoms she’s experiencing, such as pain. From there, you can deal with issues as they crop up.
When Your Family Member Is Done with Hospitals
There may come a time when your family member merely wants to be done with hospitals, tests, and all that goes with that. It can be traumatic to wind up in the hospital for longer periods of time and your family member may finally decide that she’s done with that. Hospice care providers can help her to manage her conditions at home, where she can be around the people that she loves.
When Your Family Member Is No Longer Interested in Curative Treatments
Beyond simply being tired of the hospital, your family member may be done with any and all types of curative treatments. She may have a chronic health condition that is taking its course and has no cure, such as . It can be frustrating for you to feel as if your family member is giving up, but from her perspective, the treatments may feel more invasive than the health issue is.
When Your Family Member Is Ready for Hospice Care
Another point to consider is that your family member may simply feel that she’s ready for what hospice can offer to her. She may express this to you openly or you may suddenly just feel that this is the right next step. Regardless, hospice services can help you to determine how best to help your family member from here.
The reality is that there’s no hard and fast rule for determining when hospice care is appropriate. That time is going to be different for every family member and every situation. That’s why it’s so important to know and to understand your family member’s needs and wants, so that you can take the steps that she wants you to take.
If you or a loved-one are considering hospice care in Norcross, GA, please call the caring staff at Arcturus Hospice and Palliative Care today. Call 678-383-9973 today to speak to our care team.
Kate Gorinshteyn is the director of marketing at Arcturus Health Care. Arcturus is a fast-growing Hospice striving to provide the highest level of quality care to patients faced with life-limiting illnesses. Our goal is to make each patient as pain-free as possible and give physiological, emotional and spiritual support to both the patient and family. We understand that the decision change from curative to comfort care is difficult, and our team is trained to help you every step of the way!
We are proud to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
