Entering Hospice Care
Making the decision to enter hospice care
Is hospice the right choice?
Figuring out when to call hospice services in Houston for your family member can be an emotional and difficult experience. In order to transition from curative to palliative care, patients and their families often need time to process information and adjust to a mindset of accepting the disease instead of fighting it. Hospice care begins when curative care is no longer feasible or desired. It focuses on providing comfort and pain control for the patient, as well as support for family members and loved ones.
By law in the US, including Houston, the decision to contact a hospice provider belongs to the patient. Most often, the patient’s physician and family are also involved in this process.
How will I know when it is time?
The decision to enter hospice generally occurs when your physician informs you that you have less than six months to live, and it is no longer feasible to continue life-sustaining treatments. Emotionally, the decision may not happen for some time after receiving such a diagnosis. It may take a while for a person to come to terms with what is happening.
Additionally, there are two key signs that suggest it might be time for a Houston patient with a life-limiting illness to consider a hospice provider.
One, if a patient is experiencing increasing difficulty caring for themselves and struggling with basic tasks such as:
- walking
- getting out of a chair
- bathing
- dressing
- using the toilet
Second, if symptoms of the disease are becoming difficult to manage or there is a steady or significant decline in the patient’s condition. This may manifest itself as:
- frequent trips to the emergency room or
- more than two stays in a hospital with one year
- oxygen dependency
- dramatic weight loss
- decline in cognitive function
The hopeful news is that all of these symptoms can be managed in hospice, greatly improving the quality of the patient’s life.
Related: Find the answers to Key Questions about Hospice
At what point in the illness is it best to call hospice?
It is recommended that patients enter hospice when they are still able to appreciate the pain and symptom control benefits. These measures enable patients to spend the last part of their lives free from unnecessary levels of pain.
What can I expect?
Once a determination has been made to stop curative care, and hospice care has started, a patient and their family should expect to receive the following from our Houston-based hospice services:
- Patient-driven care that focuses on quality of life, as determined by the patient.
- A multi-faceted approach to care, which includes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of each individual.
- A comprehensive approach to care that addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of each person.
- Family support, which begins with caregiver training and continues through the entire hospice experience.
- A professional care team, including a physician, social workers, nurses, nursing assistants, chaplains, and volunteers. This team collaborates with the patient and family to develop a care plan that is uniquely tailored for each patient, according to their wishes.
- Medical equipment, supplies, and medications related to the patient’s terminal disease.
What if I want to go back to regular treatment?
Individuals may choose to leave the program at any time. They can also be readmitted at a later date if needed.
Our staff is available to answer any questions you may have about hospice. Our hospice providers in Houston are available to visit you and discuss specific details about the program and address any issues that may be unique to your situation. It is recommended that any decision makers, including a spouse and/or adult children, be present for the meeting. This ensures all loved ones are involved in the care plan that will be designed for the patient.