Five Common Sign It May Be A Time For Hospice Care
Hospice care is a special kind of care given to a patient in the end stage of a life-limiting illness. It focuses on improving the patient’s quality of life by providing physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental support. The question arises when it is the right time to provide hospice care and who will decide whether your patient should get in or wait for a few more days or weeks. Below we have answered this question in detail. Let’s find out!
Following are the common signs of hospice care;
- Dramatic weight loss- If you notice dramatic weight loss, it may be a sign it is time to provide hospice care to your loved one suffering from a serious illness. Weight loss is the major cause of loss of appetite. During the final stage of the life-limiting illness, you will notice your loved one is losing his appetite. In that case, you should call the hospice services in Tehachapi.
- Decreased alertness and consistent confusion- When the disease progress in the final stage, it drastically affects the physical and mental abilities of the patient. The patient may begin to withdraw from the conversations, stop going for walks, etc. Plus, the patient also appears unaware of their surroundings, where they are who they are currently. These signs can be alarming, and you take them very seriously and consider giving them hospice care help.
- Sleeping more frequent or most of the time- Near the final stage of illness, sleeping most of the time is a normal issue. The body starts to lose its strength, and the patients feel like sleeping all the time. If you notice your dying loved one keeps on sleeping all the time, you should not ignore this problem and directly approach your doctor to ask whether your loved one should be referred to hospice care or not.
- No longer able to perform everyday task- During the final days of life, the patient suffering from life-limiting illnesses drastically lose their body strength. This results in facing problems in performing everyday activities that eating, bathing, getting dressed, going to the washroom, etc. when you notice this, make sure you take this into account and approach your hospice care services.
- Making frequent hospital visits- If you find your dying loved one is making frequent hospital visits because of drastically declining health, it is time to consider hospice care. There is no point in keeping on visiting the hospitals. Directly contact your hospice care professional to provide the right kind of care and support to your dying loved one.
The Final Words
No one wants to see their closed one pass on. This is what some families make to approach the hospice care service too late. However, hospice care does not mean losing hope. In fact, it has been that hospice care has increased a few days or weeks to the life of a dying patient by providing them the right support in terms of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Hence, find the best hospice services in Tehachapi, CA, and give your dying loved much-needed support and care.