Hospice at Home: Elder Care Considerations in Brookfield, IL

The main goal of hospice care at home is to maximize the quality of life for the elderly who are nearing death. Living out their last days in the comfort of their own home is often the wish of the elderly. Hospice care at home may be something you are considering as part of elder care.

If time permits, hospice care is recommended six months before death. The emphasis of hospice care is to focus on preventing pain and keeping a patient comfortable rather than trying to cure the disease. Regardless of how much time is left, hospice strives to improve a person’s quality of life by keeping them mentally alert enabling them to enjoy their final days.

Hospice care is available for service to the patient and family members 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Hospice professionals are licensed professionals and experts on dealing with death. Most of the procedures that are performed within a hospital, hospice care professionals are able to do in the home.

Providing elderly home care to a terminally ill friend or loved one can weigh heavily on your emotions. It’s a struggle to maintain a positive attitude and deal with accepting that your loved one is dying. Hospice understands the psychological and spiritual needs of the patient and family members and provides counselors to help deal with the process of death.

You may want to consider hospice care if:

• A loved one has an illness or disease that will shorten their life expectancy.
• You want your loved one to spend their remaining months being as comfortable as possible in their own home.
• You are no longer looking to prolong life by finding a cure.

There are two main requirements to be eligible for hospice care:

• The person has a terminal illness that can’t be cured.
• The doctor believes that it will take 6 months or less for the illness to run its course.

Some diseases are unpredictable and even with a diagnosis of 6 months or less to live, a person may live for several years and still receive hospice care. However, Medicare might not cover cost for care over 6 months. These diseases include:

• Cancer
• Emphysema
• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Kidney disease
• Heart failure

The doctor can provide information regarding hospice care. Some elder care providers plan in advance and start to prepare their loved ones before the time actually comes.