By May G Graham
Having a terminal illness is one of the most difficult things you will experience. Learning you only have a few months to live brings fear and frustration, but it is also the perfect opportunity to prepare for what is coming. Discuss whether you want to participate in a hospice care program and find a provider who will provide the physical and emotional support you and your family need during this difficult time.
Understanding Hospice
Hospice is not a place - it is a philosophy. It is the type of care you choose when you are terminally ill. It focuses on managing your pain and other symptoms instead of attempting to cure your condition. Hospice services will also give you and your family the emotional, social, and spiritual support you need, guiding you through the process of dying and offering bereavement support once you have passed.
Choosing this type of care does not mean you are giving up on your life. Stopping aggressive treatment is every patient's choice, and you may want to enter a hospice program if you feel aggressive treatment no longer helps and is only robbing you of spending quality time with your family. Most caregivers provide care at home, but if you have symptoms that require special equipment, think about moving into a hospice inn or a sanatorium.
When should you discuss hospice care?
Some people choose this type of care during the last few days of their lives. Think about entering this kind of program earlier, as soon as when the doctor tells you how much time you have left. This lets you prepare a care plan you and your family will feel comfortable with. It also lets you benefit from receiving support and education from hospice program experts.
Having consistently declining health, increased pain and other symptoms, repeated hospitalization, and decreasing alertness and mobility are some signs you need to enter a hospice program. This allows you to spend more time with your loved ones while receiving pain management.
Who pays for hospice programs?
Your doctor needs to assess your condition before you can enter this program. Medical experts need to establish you have a terminal illness, you only have at most six months to live, and your health is consistently declining to qualify you for Medicaid coverage. Your private insurance also covers this service.
Check with your provider and find out what items they will pay for. Medicare will cover medical equipment, care and support both for you and your loved ones, and medication.
Some providers of hospice services may charge based on your ability to pay. They will use these contributions to offset the expenses of other patients that pay little or nothing at all. You can also choose to pay privately even with Medicaid and private insurance coverage.
Do not wait until your final days until you enter a hospice program. Choosing this type of care puts you in control of how you spend your final days and whom you spend it with. Find a hospice service provider and create a care plan that benefits you and your family.
May Graham is a hospice care provider who discusses hospice services with families of terminally ill patients.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=May_G_Graham
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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Having a terminal illness is one of the most difficult things you will experience. Learning you only have a few months to live brings fear and frustration, but it is also the perfect opportunity to prepare for what is coming. Discuss whether you want to participate in a hospice care program and find a provider who will provide the physical and emotional support you and your family need during this difficult time.
Understanding Hospice
Hospice is not a place - it is a philosophy. It is the type of care you choose when you are terminally ill. It focuses on managing your pain and other symptoms instead of attempting to cure your condition. Hospice services will also give you and your family the emotional, social, and spiritual support you need, guiding you through the process of dying and offering bereavement support once you have passed.
Choosing this type of care does not mean you are giving up on your life. Stopping aggressive treatment is every patient's choice, and you may want to enter a hospice program if you feel aggressive treatment no longer helps and is only robbing you of spending quality time with your family. Most caregivers provide care at home, but if you have symptoms that require special equipment, think about moving into a hospice inn or a sanatorium.
When should you discuss hospice care?
Some people choose this type of care during the last few days of their lives. Think about entering this kind of program earlier, as soon as when the doctor tells you how much time you have left. This lets you prepare a care plan you and your family will feel comfortable with. It also lets you benefit from receiving support and education from hospice program experts.
Having consistently declining health, increased pain and other symptoms, repeated hospitalization, and decreasing alertness and mobility are some signs you need to enter a hospice program. This allows you to spend more time with your loved ones while receiving pain management.
Who pays for hospice programs?
Your doctor needs to assess your condition before you can enter this program. Medical experts need to establish you have a terminal illness, you only have at most six months to live, and your health is consistently declining to qualify you for Medicaid coverage. Your private insurance also covers this service.
Check with your provider and find out what items they will pay for. Medicare will cover medical equipment, care and support both for you and your loved ones, and medication.
Some providers of hospice services may charge based on your ability to pay. They will use these contributions to offset the expenses of other patients that pay little or nothing at all. You can also choose to pay privately even with Medicaid and private insurance coverage.
Do not wait until your final days until you enter a hospice program. Choosing this type of care puts you in control of how you spend your final days and whom you spend it with. Find a hospice service provider and create a care plan that benefits you and your family.
May Graham is a hospice care provider who discusses hospice services with families of terminally ill patients.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=May_G_Graham
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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3 comments:
Dear Ms. Perry, I am the sole caregiver to my 87 year old, bed-bound mother. Her health is failing and she can not see or hear very well. She has not been out if her bed since April, 2012.
Just this week she has begun asking me questions that are very odd. In essence, she is asking about the placement of things in the house and commenting on the kinds of cookware I am using but... She is bed bound. How does she know that I have rearranged the furniture or purchased a new Dutch oven, or that I bought graham crackers for her? Honestly, it makes my hair stand on end. I'm afraid and yet, I find this a bit unnerving. Can you please give me a bit of insight? I am guessing that she is testing her ability at leaving her body. She is a person that doesn't like change and I'm guessing that she is contemplating leaving ..
Thank you for your time in reading this. You are welcomed to use the information for your work. I just would like to understand what us happening and there really have been several times that I have awoken with the knowledge (or thought) that my mother was snooping through the house late at night.. But she can't, Sh can't get out of her hospital bed. Or can she?
Dear Ms. Perry, I am the sole caregiver to my 87 year old, bed-bound mother. Her health is failing and she can not see or hear very well. She has not been out if her bed since April, 2012.
Just this week she has begun asking me questions that are very odd. In essence, she is asking about the placement of things in the house and commenting on the kinds of cookware I am using but... She is bed bound. How does she know that I have rearranged the furniture or purchased a new Dutch oven, or that I bought graham crackers for her? Honestly, it makes my hair stand on end. I'm afraid and yet, I find this a bit unnerving. Can you please give me a bit of insight? I am guessing that she is testing her ability at leaving her body. She is a person that doesn't like change and I'm guessing that she is contemplating leaving ..
Thank you for your time in reading this. You are welcomed to use the information for your work. I just would like to understand what us happening and there really have been several times that I have awoken with the knowledge (or thought) that my mother was snooping through the house late at night.. But she can't, Sh can't get out of her hospital bed. Or can she?
Kerrin, thank you for posting a comment here.
It does sound like your mom is doing out-of-body visits around the house, which are not uncommon when someone is very ill, under anesthesia, or in a coma. Have you thought to ask her how she knows these things? You might gain insight from her that you can share to help other who are are dealing with similar situations.
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