Hospice care is a caring approach to assisting people with chronic medical conditions, typically terminal illnesses, and choosing ways of improving their quality of life rather than seeking treatment. It is whole-person care, meaning it ensures physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met so patients can remain dignified throughout their time here. The preceding hospice care services explained discusses the differing levels of care that are customized to suit patient needs.
Routine Home Care
Routine home care is the most common level of hospice care and is provided in a patient’s private residence, boarding care, assisted living, or retirement home. Under this particular kind of care, hospice team members visit patients according to their needs. Such visiting hospice team members include nurses and doctors who render medical care and pain management and social workers and chaplains who may offer emotional support and spiritual counseling according to needs.
What is routine home care in hospice? This level of care ensures that a patient can maintain a comfortable environment and familiar surroundings and be surrounded by family and friends.
Continuous Home Care
Continuous home care in hospice is offered to patients whose symptoms or pain suddenly become acute and, therefore, need more intensive management. This level provides continuous care, usually in short periods, so that the status of a patient can be stabilized. Nurses and health aides are continuously present during a crisis to offer medical care and support. Continuous hospice care at home is provided to patients whose symptoms are out of control, such as severe pain, breathing difficulty, or anxiety, so that it will be treated effectively immediately.
General Inpatient Care
General inpatient care is a hospice for patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home and require a hospital, hospice inpatient facility, or nursing home. Medical intervention is more aggressive and includes more monitoring than other care levels. GIP may be appropriate for patients experiencing severe uncontrolled pain and discomfort or those who require advanced medical equipment and services. It allows for intensive treatment and constant supervision by healthcare officials until there’s a stable condition and the patient can return to routine or continuous home care.
Respite Care
Within hospice, respite care offers a brief period for the principal caregiver. It allows time off for these individuals while the loved one is continuously cared for. This form of care may continue for up to five days and commonly occurs within a hospice setting, nursing home, or hospital. Respite care in hospice is essential to avoid burnout among caregivers. It gives them time to rest, recharge, and attend to personal matters. It maintains the general well-being of the patient and the caregiver.
Choosing the Right Level of Hospice Care
The appropriate level of hospice care is selected after consideration by the patient, current medical condition, serious nature of symptoms, and personal preference. It involves working closely with a hospice care team to assess their needs through consultation to provide the best level of care. Routine home care may suffice for quite a stable patient, while continuous home care might help address acute symptomatology. Very severe and uncontrolled symptoms will require general in-patient care, while critical support to the caregiver is provided by respite care. These varying service levels ensure appropriate and effective patient care by knowing these types of services.
Conclusion
To summarize, hospice care maintains the quality of life rather than treating an illness. Knowing the four levels of hospice care—routine home care, continuous home care, General inpatient care hospice, and respite care—can help people decide the best level for their loved ones.
Abundant Hospice Care offers a holistic approach to individual care needs in providing compassionate hospice services. Our dedicated team of professionals has decades of experience providing care that respects and preserves a high quality of life for our patients. Abundant Hospice Care takes care of you, whether in a home routine, continuous, and all come under the same roof.
