The last stages of cancer are difficult to bear, both for family members and the patient. Hospice care offers a compassionate, humane and dignified choice for end-of-life needs. It reduces suffering and keeps the patient comfortable. Hospice care is usually provided in the home, enabling cancer patients to transition through the last stages of their disease with as high of quality of life as possible.
How to Know When Hospice Care Should Begin
When a patient’s healthcare team determines that medications or other treatments no longer have the potential to remove or treat cancer, there is usually a decision to cease testing and other therapies. When this occurs however, healthcare doesn’t end. Certain foundations, such as Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care provide a comprehensive team of volunteers and professionals whose goal is:
- Maintaining a high standard of living
- Pain reduction
- Emotional support for patients and their families
- Spiritual counseling
Hospice – Providing Hope & Support for Family Caregivers
Family members who have cared for their loved one over the course of their disease also benefit from hospice care. Caring for a sick family member is stressful and overwhelming, and most people in this situation find that hospice workers relieve a large amount of this burden. Hospice workers free family members to focus upon communication, emotional support and spiritual activities with their loved one.
What Cancer Patients Should Expect When Entering Hospice Care
When initiating hospice care, patients first meet their team which most often consists of:
- Physician
- Nurse
- Hospice volunteer
- Social worker
- Chaplain or other spiritual counselor
- Grief counselor
For patients who are able to still make decisions, legal documents concerning end-of-life directives may be drawn up. Next, a care plan will be developed. This will also include a plan for you should the worst happen. You should have the option to sign a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). Otherwise your plan should include:
- Pain management
- Delivery of medical equipment
- Delivery of medications
With hospice care, the patient and their family are generally in control of the care. Workers arrive on an agreed upon schedule to answer questions, provide support and assist with care. With every visit, relief is provided and families and patients don’t experience isolation or loneliness during this difficult time. Hospice care empowers patients and families, making them the center of their own care plan and allowing for individuals to guide and advise the course of care.
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