Hospice care offers what is called holistic support to people who are nearing the end of their lives. People who are extremely ill or who are approaching the end of their life may need help with medical concerns, but they may also need assistance with other areas of their lives. Hospice providers are able to focus on comfort and support in all of these various areas of life, both for the person who is dying and for the family members who love that individual.
What Is Holistic Care?
Holistic care is care that focuses on the entire individual, including that individual’s family members, instead of just one piece of the situation. That is important when dealing with end-of-life issues because no one is one-dimensional with only one concern as they approach the end of their life. There are lots of aspects of dealing with end-of-life concerns that are difficult to navigate alone, including physical, spiritual, and emotional concerns. Hospice care providers are able to offer assistance to seniors and their families that address all of these concerns and assist with comfort as much as possible.
Addressing Physical Needs
Physical needs are sometimes the most obvious concern when people begin to reach the end of their lives. Physical concerns like pain, fatigue, trouble eating, and breathing issues are extremely common as someone approaches death. Managing these symptoms carefully and as fully as possible is crucial to making sure that the person nearing death is as comfortable as possible. Hospice care providers work with the patient’s entire medical team to determine the best path forward.
Addressing Emotional Needs
People nearing death and their family members are all dealing with a lot of emotions, even if this is a situation that everyone involved knew was coming. It’s never easy to prepare for the death of a loved one, and some people may experience phases of grief that they’re not sure how to handle. Hospice care providers can put family members and people nearing the end of their life in touch with bereavement assistance that helps them to manage these overwhelming feelings.
Addressing Spiritual Needs
Spiritual questions, concerns, and needs are also important to address at the end of someone’s life. Even people who didn’t believe themselves to be very spiritual during their lives can feel the need to speak with spiritual leaders about their concerns. There may be other ways to address spiritual needs, too, like helping with meditation or offering other guidance and support. Addressing these concerns can help someone who is nearing the end of their life to feel peace, which is truly important when they are approaching death.
The end of someone’s life is a complicated and difficult time. Hospice care providers work to address as many needs as they possibly can, both for the people who are nearing death and the people who love them. There are lots of different resources available, and accessing as many of them as possible gives a family the holistic tools that they need to manage the end of a loved one’s life.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hospice care in Needham, MA, please contact the caring staff at PlatinumCare + today. Call (617) 237-0867
PlatinumCare + was born out of the desire and passion to provide the very best home health care possible in Brookline, Dover, Newton, Needham, Watertown, Weston, Cambridge, Lincoln, Sudbury, Belmont, Boston MA, and surrounding areas.
All with decades of experience, Tim in IT Operations, Support, and Management, Brenda in Client Relations, Healthcare Services & Sales Management, and Anne in Healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner combined their skills to form what is now PlatinumCare +.
As immigrants to the US, all came from backgrounds where Healthcare for aging parents was a responsibility of the immediate family and the entire community. Aging, sick, or terminal community members were cared for physically, emotionally, and financially by family, friends, including strangers! This community approach, Healthcare with a difference, delivered with the utmost love, care, sacrifice, and passion, forms the basis of how PlatinumCare + grounds itself.
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