The decision of a loved one to enter into a hospice care plan is one of the most difficult a family is likely to face. Life support measures can often extend one’s life almost indefinitely, and the decision to forgo those measures is never taken lightly. Usually, the patient, if he or she is capable of making the decision, or a family member with a power of attorney makes the decision in concert with the medical team charged with the patient’s treatment regimen. It is not seen as conceding defeat. Rather, it is a decision to live life as fully as possible for as long as possible.
As opposed to palliative care which is typically administered in the facility where treatment is performed, and where death is not imminent, hospice care is normally home-centered. Hospice care providers work with family members to ensure the best quality of life is available for the patient. They assist with grooming, pain management and other personal tasks, all geared toward enhancing quality of life for as long as the patient is able to respond.
In Phoenix AZ Hospice Care At Home in Sun City has been performing end of life care for more than a decade. The staff of compassionate, caring professionals are dedicated to helping those in their care experience the maximum enjoyment in their last days, and to end their lives in peace and without pain.
Usually the decision to seek hospice care is made in conjunction with a diagnosis that death is days or at most weeks away. Indicators include lapses of memory, loss of functionality or control of bodily functions or just a steady overall decline. This often comes as a shock to family members, even though they may have been aware of the seriousness of the illness or injury. To deal with the emotional upheavals and grief, Hospice Care At Home in Sun City also offers counseling services, sometimes more for the benefit of the family than for the patient.
Everyone faces death. It is an inevitable part of life. Hospice care permits one to face it, prepare for it and to leave this life in familiar surroundings with family present, a much preferred alternative to many.
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