Facing a life-limiting illness comes with several issues. One of the most distressing is the decline in personal hygiene and a patient’s inability to handle the activities of daily living he/she could easily manage in the past. For a formerly independent person, particularly, these issues can significantly affect his/her emotional state. Investing in professional hospice care is essential to ensure the physical and emotional comfort of someone with a life-limiting illness.
When most people think of an Indiana-based hospice care center for their loved ones, they assume this will be a waste of precious cash. This erroneous thinking is based on a presumption that they can handle the personal grooming of their loved one and administer medication as per a doctor’s instructions. They would thus rather take turns as family and friends and save on the expense of a professional caregiver. Personal care in hospice nonetheless involves more than assistance with bathing. Here are a few components that make professional hospice care the best choice for all patients with life-limiting conditions.
Continence Care
Attending to the toileting needs of a patient and providing continence care is essential. The needed care, in this case, will range from only assisting the patient in getting to and from the toilet to changing diapers and catheters. Mishandling this crucial aspect of personal care leaves a patient prone to urinary tract infections and a breakdown of the skin around his/her genitalia. Since any life-limiting illness will ordinarily reduce a patient’s immunity, these issues can result in life-threatening infections.
Dressing
For those under hospice care, even seemingly harmless activities like dressing put them at risk of new infections or broken bones. Dressing for them will thus take into account their physical state to avoid new injuries. In those with wounds, the clothes chosen should be loose enough to avoid constricting the wound and yet not too loose such that they can trip their wearer.
Feeding
At times, the rigors of a disease leave people unable to feed themselves or prepare their food. Hospice care professionals will feed the patients under their care and prepare the food to overcome this challenge. The meals prepared in this case are balanced and feature different food groups to meet the nutritional deficiencies in patients. The patient will also be fed in defined time intervals to match his/her appetite and the medication he/she is getting since some drugs should be taken a few hours before or after meals.
Mobility
In the final stages of a disease process, the mobility of an individual is commonly affected. Assistance with getting out and into bed and sitting or standing is essential in this case to enable the patient to get from one place to another. Mobility assistance also boosts a patient’s safety since he/she is at this time, prone to falls and severe accidents.
The above personal care elements are only part of what hospice care entails. Physiotherapy, psychological counselling, and grief counseling for a patient’s loved ones are among the other aspects handled in hospice care. Investing in professional hospice care is, therefore, in no way a waste of your precious resources or a patient’s time.
