How Can Hospice Care Help Your Family?

Hospice care helps your loved one live their last days in comfort, at home, and with dignity. The care we provide here at Gentle Transitions Hospice is palliative care. That means we help relieve pain but do not treat the cause of the condition. As a family-operated support center, we understand the value of family. And translate this value into the care we provide for our patients.

Here at Gentle Transitions Hospice, we support those at the end of life. We provide compassionate care and symptom management. We work with an interdisciplinary team to deliver comprehensive palliative care. Our team follows medical guidelines to provide the highest level of service to the patient and support for their family.

Hospice Care Services

Here at Gentle Transitions Hospice, we are proud to provide the highest-quality of palliative care. Palliative care is more than end-of-life care. We support our patients through different stages of their illness. Our staff at Gentle Transitions Hospice helps provide relief to our patients that are suffering from a terminal illness.

We provide palliative care services both in-home and at a hospice center. With our in-home hospice care, your loved one is able to remain home. For the patient, it is comforting to be supported by their belongings. In the comfort of their own bed and blankets and with their family.

Hospice care center is a hospital-like facility. This care is outside of the home. When choosing a hospice care center, make sure you are comfortable with the staff and facility. That is why we at Gentle Transitions Hospice provide your loved one with compassion and dignity. We strive to help make our patients feel comfortable and cared for.

Difficult Questions to Ask

The decision to use hospice care is difficult and emotionally challenging. At Gentle Transitions Hospice, we are here to answer your difficult question. The most common questions we hear are about eligibility, cost, and timing of care.

Here at Gentle Transitions Hospice, we care for anyone facing a life-limiting illness. Neither the patient nor the family pays for hospice care out-of-pocket. That is because there are several organizations to help, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs.

The most difficult question to answer is - why do you seek hospice care? When the patient is no longer responding to treatment, it is the right time to seek hospice care. The decision to receive hospice care is that of the patient. This decision usually comes after consulting with your physician and family members.

What Are Important Considerations to Make When Choosing a Hospice Care Provider?

When your loved one has reached a stage where the doctors or the caregiver that used to attend to them feels like it is time for them to be transferred to home health or hospice care, you will be informed of the condition and reasons why they need to be moved, and they will give you some recommendation about specific hospice that you can try out

It would be best to take their recommendation seriously and choose the best option available within your locality where your loved one will receive good care. Carry out thorough research to get information about each option before settling on the best hospice for your loved one. Here are factors to consider when choosing a better option that will suit them.

Location

There are many possible locations that one can choose when it comes to hospice care - hospice can be done in a nursing home, the patient's home, assisted living facility, independent living facility or within a hospital. In most cases, hospice care is administered by an independent agency that usually sends a nurse to their patients.

The location of the hospice care facility is not that important. What matters most is where their nurses are. Therefore, when you call a hospice facility to inquire about their services, find out where their nurses live and the radius or area they cover. Additionally, ensure that you choose a provider who has an on-call nurse very close to you who can arrive efficiently when there is a crisis.

Licenses and Certifications

When your loved one is recommended to be moved to a hospice facility, it means they will require close supervision. Depending on the kind of provider that you will settle on, your loved one will need the care of a specialist or well-trained nurses who know how to handle their situation correctly. Choose a facility that will offer your loved ones the best possible care. Therefore, ensure that you ask for their staff's certificates and licenses. This will be very important if your patient needs medication management or if they have wounds that require regular observation and cleaning.

Contracted Insurance partnership and Medical Groups

It is essential that you find out from a hospice or home health provider if they work with Medicare or other insurance companies. Therefore, find out about the type of insurance they partner with or any medical group associated with them before settling on a provider that suits you.

Types of care Administered.

Depending on the type of care that your loved one will require, the patient-physician will give you all the information suitable for their care. This information should help you make an informed decision regarding the type of facility to choose. Therefore, you need to ask the hospices or home health about the services they are offering. Find out about the specific programs that suit your loved one before settling for the best option. A provider that offers specialized programs such as wound care, orthopedic, fall prevention, and transitional care with highly trained personnel and professionals will be good for your loved one.

Pet Therapy and Its Healing Benefits for Hospice Patients

Pet Therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is becoming increasingly popular in hospices and hospitals. In this therapy, cute and affectionate furry friends provide emotional support and engagement for terminally-ill patients. Studies have shown that animal assisted-therapy is an effective method in reducing the patients’ pain. Seniors who feel isolated and bound by their condition/illness can benefit from this therapy greatly.

Gentle Transitions prides itself on providing high-quality care and satisfaction to its patients. Hence, this family-owned organization serving Central & North Texas, provides pet therapy to its patients and encourages them to feel optimistic and loved by the highly trained and hospitable staff. Pet therapy is available for all patients at Gentle Transitions hospice. Waco-Temple-Killeen residents should look into this service for their elderly loved ones who are currently on hospice.

We want to ensure that each patient under our hospice care is surrounded by love, compassion, and peace; pets are known to provide these through their companionship. Pet therapy has numerous benefits, such as:

· Reduces stress and anxiety

· Takes seniors’ mind off thoughts about death

· Decreases feelings of loneliness and depression

· Reduces high blood pressure

· Improves cardiovascular health

· Increases interaction and friendship between patients

Animals used to provide companionship in pet therapy include rabbits, dogs, cats, pigs, baby goats, miniature horses, and birds. Each animal has a quality that makes them viable for pet therapy. For example, a bird’s unique disposition and vibrant feathers can create a wholesome feeling for patients.

Patients experience positive feelings when they are in the presence of pets. They also play with the animals by petting, hugging, throwing a ball, teaching tricks, etc. Farm animals such as baby pigs, lambs, and goats are known for their quiet and affectionate demeanor. Our staff is ready to receive your elderly loved one and provide this therapy to them, especially if they are a veteran. Central Texas hospice agencies of repute that offer this therapy are few, and Gentle Transitions is proud to be one of them.

Studies have also shown that animal-assisted therapy stunted the growth of symptoms in patients with dementia in just 10 weeks. This major discovery will be helpful in the treatment of patients. It also makes a strong case for the use of compassion and empathy-based therapies in a palliative care or hospice setting. Central Texas has a senior population that can benefit from this therapy, and it is available at Gentle Transitions Hospice.

Pet therapy in hospices such as Gentle Transitions does not simply involve bringing pets to make patients happy; it is much more than that. This form of therapy transforms the energy into the room and the temperaments of the terminally-ill patients. It eases the transitioning of the patients and introduces a healthy friendship that will make their time with us special.