18+ Times Home Care and Hospice are the Right Choice

When a loved one is struggling to live independently or needs end-of-life care, home health and hospice offer assistance. But the question that often arises is, “How do I know when it’s the right time for such care?” Although the transition into these services can be emotional, the answer to that question is usually, “The sooner, the better.” Keep reading to learn some of the common signs your loved one could be ready for at-home or hospice services.

Home Care
Home health care can provide services to people recovering from illness, surgery, a recent hospital stay, changes in diagnosis, and other situations in which individuals may need ongoing assistance and monitoring in their homes. Oftentimes, people require at-home care when they experience:

• A recent fall or complaints of dizziness
• Unsteadiness on feet
• Need for wound care or IV antibiotics
• Limitation of activities
• Weight loss or significant loss of appetite
• Increasing forgetfulness
• Confusion or anxiousness in new situations
• Difficulty getting to appointments or errands
• Forgetfulness with medications

Hospice
Hospice services strive to make the end-of-life transition as comfortable as possible for patients, family and friends. While choosing hospice is a personal decision, patients often make the transition when they stop aggressive, curative treatment to focus on comfort and quality of life.

Some of the common signs that hospice could be the right choice include:

• Being diagnosed with a terminal or life-limiting illness
• Choosing to stop treatment
• Focusing on comfort (no further treatment available)
• Increased pain, nausea or breathing difficulties
• Weight loss or decreased appetite
• Difficulty swallowing
• Needing assistance with walking, eating, bathing or dressing
• Sleeping more or losing alertness
• Desire to remain at home

When it comes to your loved one’s health, you should feel comfortable with the care. That’s why the Covenant Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) brings the quality of Covenant HealthCare to your home. For more than 75 years, VNA has provided comprehensive home health and hospice services for every generation.

Learn why choosing a hospital-affiliated home health or hospice provider can make a world of difference.

Posted Date: 10/16/2017