Is There a Difference Between Comfort Care and Hospice Elder Care?
Hospice Elder Care in Grass Valley CA
Once you realize that your elderly family member is nearing the end of her life, there are a lot of different decisions that you’re suddenly facing. Some of those decisions involve choosing different types of care, including comfort care and hospice elder care. But what are each of these types of care and what are the differences? Understanding what your choices are helps you to make the best possible decisions for your elderly family member.
Hospice Elder Care Is Comfort Care
When people think about comfort care, they typically think about types of care that offer comfort to people who are facing the end of life. That’s exactly what hospice elder care does, which means that comfort care and hospice are the same thing at their core. It’s helpful to understand that first, because it removes a lot of confusion about what all hospice care can offer to seniors.
Hospice Is for People Near the End of Life
So, what exactly is hospice, then? This is a specific type of care that is recommended once your elderly family member is expected to live for at most six more months. Usually this is because of declining health or a life-limiting or terminal illness that has gotten steadily worse. Hospice elder care allows your senior to spend the remaining months of her life as comfortably as possible, and hopefully surrounded by the people that care about her.
The Focus Is on Quality of Life as Much as Possible
The major focus of hospice elder care is on quality of life. That means that the types of care your elderly family member receives are about managing her symptoms, especially pain, as well as possible. There may be different types of therapies that are available to her at this point now that she is no longer pursuing curative treatments, too. Many seniors find that they do feel better after a few weeks in hospice, because they are more comfortable and able to relax.
What Else Does Hospice Do?
Hospice helps your aging family member to manage her hygiene needs, especially when she is bedridden. They help to monitor her pain and other symptoms, offering solutions that are likely to help as much as possible. Hospice elder care professionals also work with your senior’s medical providers to develop care plans that support all of her needs for as long as possible. They’re also there to offer emotional support and respite care for you and other family members. All of this is an important part of the end-of-life process that can be difficult for your family to manage on your own.
Many patients live longer than they expect when they move to hospice elder care. This is why starting comfort care as soon as possible after your senior’s doctor certifies her to do so can be an excellent choice. Your elderly family member has more time to comfortably spend the rest of her life the way that she wants to, surrounded by people who want the best for her.
If you are considering hospice elder care in Grass Valley, CA, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at PIC Comfort Care today. Call (530) 885-9948.
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