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The definition of hospice care says it is a form of home care service which is focused on patients diagnosed with a terminal condition or illness. These patients are approaching the end of their lives and the service is entirely focused on increasing the quality of their lives. There are times when people resist home care, and they can be especially skeptical about hospice. In this article, we’ve tried to gather the most important pros and cons of hospice care, so you can see all the benefits and downsides of this home care service.

Advantages of Hospice Care

Hospice includes a professional team consisting of nurses, social workers, and volunteers. They are available 24/7, even on Sundays and holidays. Whenever you need professional assistance, they will be there for you and your loved ones. Once you choose hospice, you will have a personal caregiver who is entirely focused on your loved one’s well-being.

When death approaches, patients are usually sent to the hospital where you cannot be with them when you want. Using hospice care means your loved one is staying at home while they get the best possible care. There is no need to send them to other facilities since they can receive the care they need in your home. Personal caregivers focus on the family, too, and provide emotional support if needed.

Also, insurance covers the cost of all items needed, so choosing hospice usually results in cutting down on expenses. Learn more about Medicare, Medicaid, and to what extent they cover the hospice costs.

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Disadvantages of Hospice Care

Although hospice cuts down costs, there are some things which aren’t covered. For instance, life-prolonging treatments such as feeding tubes are not covered. Besides that, some tests (blood work, for example) should be covered by home care agencies. Since these can be quite costly, sometimes insurance companies refuse to do so.

One of the problems is since patients are at home there are no medical tools around.

Many believe that the main problem with hospice care is that this means you give up on life. Therefore, many patients don’t have a chance to have comfort at the end of their lives. If your loved one is diagnosed with a terminal condition and has less than six months, hospice is a good way to ease their pain and make them feel as comfortable as possible.

Is Hospice Care What My Family Needs?

Find a hospice agency and ask them all the things on your mind. See here for some questions to begin with. When you get the answers, talk to your loved one and your family to see if this is the type of care service your family needs.

All in all, these are the basic pros and cons of hospice care. The benefits of hospice care are enormous. However, more problems may occur, such as a patient refusing hospice. Before making a final decision, see what you really need. Hospice care can be the perfect choice for you and your family, while sometimes it’s not.

If you need additional information, check out more about what does hospice mean.

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