Questions to Ask Your Loved One’s Hospice Worker
Hospice care is usually the final stage in a loved one’s life, so it’s important that you find the right situation and the right caregiver. You want to make those final days count, however many they may be. Therefore, you should take care in your research and really spend time interviewing workers.
Asking the right questions during the interview process is critical to finding the right hospice worker. It’s also important that you ask the right questions of your loved one’s caregiver during active care. That way, you can be sure that your loved one is getting what he or she needs.
Here are some important questions you should be asking your loved one’s hospice worker:
What Can We Expect?
Many people enter hospice care with a lot of questions. They aren’t sure how much time they have left with their loved one or how things will change for their loved one. They aren’t sure what support will be provided. Many are both confused and scared.
A good hospice care provider will be able to help you understand your loved one’s progress based on things like coloring, breathing difficulty, and whether they are eating and drinking. A good hospice provider will help you understand each stage in the process and will provide the appropriate support.
What Therapeutic Services are Offered?
Hospice workers can do more than provide pain medication and help with feeding and bathing. They can actually provide many types of therapeutic care that can ease physical pain and help soothe a patient mentally and emotionally. Music therapy is a popular choice for many families, as is massage therapy.
Ask potential hospice workers what therapeutic care they can provide. If you have already started with hospice care, ask the company if they have therapeutic providers to supplement care or if they can recommend a service or provider.
Can I Schedule Visits with a Chaplain?
Many people who are facing the end of life grapple with spiritual questions. Some may have guilt or regret about things they have done, and some may feel afraid of what’s to come. Some may be struggling with questions of faith. Family members can feel all of these things, as well.
Ask your hospice worker if you can schedule visits with a chaplain, priest, or other spiritual leader. You can schedule the visits for your loved one or family members. Many people find this spiritual counseling to be helpful during this hard time.
Will Someone Always be There?
Many people are afraid of dying alone – or of allowing their loved one to die alone. They worry that their loved one might pass while they are at work or even during a quick trip to the store to get more milk. They can become too afraid to leave the house.
Many hospice providers have a plan to ensure that no patient is left alone to ensure that no one dies alone. Make sure your provider has a plan in place for this, whether it involves scheduling around time when family will be there or calling in additional care providers.
The end of life can be very difficult – especially when it means letting go of someone you love deeply. Finding the right hospice care provider can make things a little easier, as can establishing a good relationship with your provider. Use these questions to help you find a hospice care provider who will work best with your family. You can also use these questions to improve your experience as you are moving through hospice care.
Americare Hospice and Palliative Care is committed to providing the best hospice care for your loved one during their final days. Our compassionate providers offer pain management, therapeutic relief services, spiritual counseling, grief counseling, and more. Our goal is to support not just the patient, but the whole family. We understand that dying involves big questions and everyone in the family can be impacted in big ways. We do everything we can to support the family throughout this process. Call us in Arizona today to learn more about our hospice services. We serve patients in their home and in facilities. Learn more about how we can help you and your family.
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1212 N. Spencer St., Suite #2
Mesa, Arizona 85203
Office: (480) 726-7773
Fax: (480) 726-7790
Email: info@americarehospice.org
