Hospice is a powerful word. It’s magic, it’s medicine, it’s the end of life and it’s when there’s nothing left to do but make someone comfortable. It’s also a scary word. Especially if you aren’t sure if it’s right for you or if you want to go into hospice. The choice is yours, but we know that as a society we tend to lean towards the old ‘do not harm’ approach with regards to dying. Hospice isn't always easy to hear about, which is why we take this article so seriously! Here are some tips on how to start conversations to find the right option for your family member:
Don’t Forget About ‘Hospice’
By now, most of you are probably aware of how helpful hospice really is in helping a family member achieve release from a diagnosis of cancer. But how many of you aren’t even aware that hospice is available for people in all stages of life? It’s important to find a hospice that best works for your family member, and if you can’t find anything suitable in your area, then any one of the following hospitals would do: Elizabeth I Hospice Here at Elizabeth I, our hospice team make it a priority to make sure that clients receive the best possible care. We have a strict no-kill policy that means that people with special needs are never turned away, and we have an amazing staff that is ready to support every client.
Go Into It With Care
When a cancer patient is in the advanced stages of the disease, oxygen levels drop in the body, which can cause heart disease. To avoid an increased risk of heart disease and an increased risk of death, it’s important to take regular breaks from strenuous activities. One way to stay active is to take part in activities that require your full attention, like walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, bungee jumping, squash, etc. But for patients with advanced cancer, it’s also important to be at their ease during active periods. That means it’s important to find a place where you can relax and decompress from your activities, like a walking trail, mountainside hammock, or nature.
Be Realistic When Talking About Hospice
When it comes to hospice, we’re a little more conservative than the average person. We’re hesitant to offer people expensive treatments that they may not need, but also hesitate to offer them little-known treatments that could benefit them greatly. For example, some people may be afraid to get a CAT Scan because they don’t want to be associated with a dead body. But, because we don’t offer cadaveric services, we don’t know whether or not someone is still breathing. So, how do we know if someone is dying? Here’s the thing: We don’t want to miss out on a potential life-or-death situation, so we’re going to assume that the person we’re communicating with will probably die regardless. So, we’re going to offer the person something that they might or might not need, like a hearing aid or a wheelchair. But we want to be realistic about the person, so we won’t offer them everything.
Bottom Line
We hope that these few tips have given you some reassurance, because hospice isn’t an easy thing to discuss, and in the end, you’ll make up your mind about which option is right for your family member. Contact us with any questions or concerns, and we’ll be in touch soon! Visit us at - hospice in Simi Valley.