National Home Care and Hospice Month

Home Care --- Home Is Where The Heart Is

The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has designated November as “National Home Care and Hospice Month". During the month, focus and recognition are given to the caregivers who aid seniors in their homes.

When seniors or their loved ones are faced with the decision of what to do now. What are the best options for care? Senior living communities are often looked at as an option. Senior living communities offer a great variety of senior activities, health care services, lifestyle choices, and modern comforts and conveniences. Still many seniors feel there’s no place like home. They would prefer to remain in their "own" home rather then moving to a senior living community. This is where home care and hospice come in. Therefore, during the month of November focus is placed on educating patients, families and the community about the various services that are available to them in their homes.

Top Reasons to Consider Home Care and Hospice

• The patient receives care in "their" home.
  This eliminates the need to transport your loved one to another location for care.
  It also improves their quality of life by allowing them to remain where they feel comfortable.
• Home healthcare is cost effective and care-effective
  With in home care many disease symptoms are controlled therefore hospital admissions, re-admissions, and emergency room visits are reduced. This in turn improves the quality of life.
• Both home care and hospice services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most managed care and private insurance.

A nationwide Gallup survey recently conducted for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) produced a number of key results about home care and hospice.

Home Care and Hospice Key Results

• Seniors Prefer to be Cared for at Home
  9 out of 10 adults would prefer to be cared for at home rather than in a hospital or nursing home if diagnosed with a terminal illness.
• Hospice Care is Provided at Home
  96 % of hospice care is provided in the patient’s home or place they call home.
• Most People Would be Interested in Hospice Care but Know Little About It
  An overwhelming majority of adults said they would be interested in the comprehensive program of care at home that hospice programs provide. Yet most Americans know little or nothing about their eligibility for or availability of hospice.
• Greatest Feat is being a Burden to Loved Ones
  When asked to name their greatest fear associated with death, respondents most cited “being a burden to family and friends,” followed by “pain” and “lack of control.”
• Hospice Care is Special Because It Addresses a Whole Range of Needs
  Addressing the whole range of physical and psychological needs of the patient and his or her family in an interdisciplinary way is what makes hospice care so special.

More than 1.6 million patients rely on hospice each year. Hospice and palliative care come into play when a patient makes the decision to stop seeking curative measures. But that doesn’t mean the person is diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and a variety of other diagnoses also often seek hospice care.

If you or a senior loved one is searching for home care, hospice, or a senior living residence, visit AlternativesforSeniors.com. There, you can find a wealth of information about senior apartments, independent-living, assisted-living, Alzheimer’s specialty care, continuing-care communities, and a number of senior services and care options.

If you would like FREE Personalized Assistance finding a

home care or hospice agency, please call (888) WE-ASSIST.

BLOG Date: November 22, 2013

Writer: Ryan Allen