One of the most common questions we hear is “did we call you to soon?” No! The sooner after a serious illness diagnosis you call St. Anthony’s Hospice, the more help you get and the better your quality of life will be.
Unlike previously thought, hospice care is not only for the final days or hours, rather hospice is for months of care. Once a patient is diagnosed with an illness that should it run its normal course, has a life expectancy of 6 months or less, let us come evaluate. Hospice care is not a death sentence, rather it is about quality of life no matter the amount of life someone has left. Oh and did you know if enrolled in hospice care sooner, studies have shown that patients can live longer?
St. Anthony’s Hospice manages symptoms and controls pain to give our patients the highest quality of life for however long they are with us. Ensuring each patient has the highest quality of life allows them to share more moments and memories with loved ones and allows them to say everything they need to say.
While receiving hospice care, patients receive regular visits from members of their care team. Their care team consists of nurses, aides, chaplains, social workers, and volunteers. A patient can keep his/her own physician, should their physician choose to remain a part of the care team. St. Anthony’s Hospice has a full-time Nurse Practitioner on staff, in addition to our Medical Directors. Each member of the patient’s care team is expertly trained to meet all needs of the patient. Your care team assists with pain and symptom control, medication management, bathing, companionship, wound care, and so much more.
In addition to the expert care, patients on hospice receive durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and medications related to their terminal diagnosis at no cost to them.
Hospice care is specialized care for individuals and their families living with a life-limiting illness. It treats the person, rather than the disease, and focuses on improving quality of life. Healthcare today focuses mainly on curing an illness. What if you were told there was nothing more that could be done? In hospice care, there is always more that can be done. Hospice care is compassionate. It focuses on comfort, dignity for the patient, and meaning. It’s not about counting the days you have left; it’s about making each day count.
Patients are not the only ones facing a terminal illness. Family and caregivers face it alongside the patient. St. Anthony’s Hospice helps families provide excellent care for their loved one by providing professionals who recognize the signs of pain and unmanaged symptoms and provide the necessary medical care to care for their loved one, without an unneeded trip to the emergency room or hospital.
Hospice care does not mean you are giving up on your loved one. It is extra help to ensure your loved one is comfortable and both you and your loved one have all the help and support you need. If you would like to refer yourself or a loved one to St. Anthony’s Hospice, please call us at (270) 826-2326 or make an online referral.
