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Last Updated on November 13, 2021 by Frank Davis
A hospice provider offers physical and emotional comfort to patients with terminal illnesses. These services can extend beyond the patient’s death as it provides bereavement counseling and support during the final stages of a patient’s life. Hospice is a benefit to patients with cancer, AIDS, and other terminal illnesses.
However, contrary to popular belief, hospice care does not provide caregivers for hospice patients. This article will explain why hospice does not provide caregivers.
Hospice Does Not Provide a Caregiver
The term “caregiver” is defined as a person who provides help to others. The job of a caregiver ranges from taking out the trash to providing medical care, or even watching over an individual for days or weeks at a time. Caregivers are needed because many patients are unable to take care of themselves following their illness, especially those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. However, hospice does not provide caregivers to patients or their families.
Caregivers are employed by individuals or families who are looking for additional help to take care of their loved one at home. Family members are often overworked trying to work, run errands, and care for their ill family member. The stress of taking care of a sick relative who also requires his/her medication, food, and liquid nutrition can be difficult to bear for most families. This is why some people outsource the job of caregiver to another individual or organization. For example, if a family member has Alzheimer’s disease and requires the assistance of a caregiver, the family will hire an agency or individual to provide such services as food preparation and transportation.
Hospice provides a number of different services to patients and their families, including physical and emotional support. These include counseling, quality-of-life services, pain management, and assistance if the family desires to have a non-hospice provider assist with food preparation. Hospice does not provide caregivers because the focus of hospice is on providing comfort to patients during the final stages of their illness.
The terms “hospice” and “home care” are often confused with one another, even though the two terms do not mean the same thing. Home care refers to in-home caregiving services that is provided to a patient by a non medical home care agency who employs a caregiver. While some hospice agencies do employ caregivers, the majority of them do not provide them to patients or their families. It is important to understand that these terms are defined differently.
Family members are typically the first individuals who are approached to provide care for their loved one, especially if they have a terminal illness. The person who is reached out to may be a friend or family member that already has experience with hospice care. In these cases, the patient’s family may have already been involved in care decision making. However, many families are surprised to learn that they do not have to hire a caregiver themselves.
Seniors are the most common patient group to be cared for by hospice. Sadly, this population often does not have enough family members available to care for them. The shortage in family caregivers is a serious issue since it makes it difficult for seniors to live in their homes without assistance. This is why many hospice patients are placed into an assisted living residence or nursing home when they begin receiving hospice care. Many hospice agencies do not allow patients to receive care at home if there are no family caregivers available.
Conclusion
The truth about hospice is that it does not provide caregivers. However, it does help patients and their families in many other ways, including grief counseling that can go on up to a year after the patient has died. It is important for patients to understand the differences between hospice and home so they can make informed decisions about their situation.
If you or an aging loved one is in need of hospice care assistance, contact Hospice Valley of Los Angeles at (747) 755-5181 to learn more about which services are available to you.
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