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Yolo Hospice answers frequent questions about services

By Sandra Barak, RN July 17, 2005

Yolo Hospice receives many questions regarding our services. Through our monthly column we strive to inform readers of the many aspects of hospice care. Please send your inquiries to: Questions, Yolo Hospice, PO Box 1014, 95617 or email them to communityoutreach@yolohospice.org.

Q:  My wife has been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. From what the doctors are telling us, the disease has progressed too far and will take her life. My wife is afraid of being in pain and dying in the hospital. Can you help us?
A:  Asking your doctor about hospice care is an appropriate option at this time. Hospice care is about quality of life and comfort. Hospice nurses are extensively trained in pain management so your wife needn’t worry. 80% of hospice patients are cared for in their own homes. You will be taught to care for your wife and support will be provided to handle the tasks beyond your ability.

Q:  My mother has developed Alzheimer’s disease, but is still capable of handling her medical decisions. What happens when she is not?
A:Now is the time for you and your mother to discuss the care she will want in the future. An Advance Health Care Directive allows her to specify the care she wants, or does not want, and allows her to name a person she would like to make decisions on her behalf. With this document in place, you will not shoulder the burden and anxiety of not knowing her wishes when she can no longer speak for herself.

You can download an Advance Health Care Directive form and other vital information at no cost from our website: www.yolohospice.org. Other Advance Directives are available from the California Medical Association’s website www.cmanet.org  or Five Wishes, www.AgingWithDignity. These cost $5 per copy. You do not need an attorney nor do you need to have an Advanced Health Care Directive notarized in California. Just two witnesses will be sufficient, as long as the agent (the person designated to speak for the patient) is not one of them.

Q:  My father is in a nursing home and is failing. I can’t care for him at home and yet I think he will need hospice services soon. What can I do?
A:  Hospice services are provided in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities as well as in a person’s home. Contact your father’s doctor and ask him about an assessment visit by hospice to determine if your father is appropriate for hospice services (you can also call your local hospice directly, and they will contact the physician.) There is no cost to you or your father for an assessment visit.

Q:  I have heard hospice comes into your home to care for patients. Does that mean 24-hour care?
A:   Hospice does not provide 24-hour care. However, the family/caregiver is taughtby our nursing staff how to care for the patient, specific to his/her terminal illness. Registered nurses visit regularly to care for the patient’s symptoms and monitor pain relief measures. Support/counseling for families and patients is provided by medical social workers and spiritual counselors, if requested. Personal care by a certified hospice aide can also be provided. Trained patient care volunteers help with daily tasks, run errands, or stay with the patient so the caretaker can attend to other needs.

The combined efforts of the family and hospice team are usually enough to keep the patient comfortable and at home.

Yolo Hospice, founded in 1979, is a nonprofit hospice serving YoloCounty and surrounding areas. To receive more information, or to volunteer your services, call 758-5566.

 

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Quotes

Judy Norton
"Coping with terminal illness is all consuming for patient and family. As a hospice nurse, I feel it is most important to advocate, respect and use the knowledge we have to make the end of life the most comfortable it can be while always keeping in mind the unique needs of each patient."
~Jody Norton, RN