The benefits of offering hospice care and assisted living
Fortunately, today’s hospice care is not just restricted to a patient’s family home or a hospice facility. For those that live in an assisted living facility, memory care, or another similar facility, hospice care is also available to them. This allows for the patient to continue living undisrupted in a familiar environment keeping their usual routines. In the past, it was not unusual for patients to have to up-root their entire lives to move to a hospice facility if they were living in an assisted living or memory care facility. This often creates additional stress, confusion, pain and further suffering.
If the need for hospice care arises, it is important for those living n assisted living to feel the love and support of their family and staff. The benefit to this is that they already know what the person needs and how to take care of them without having to disturb their regular living situation or routine. This provides the best opportunity to make them feel loved, secure and comfortable.
Many assisted living facilities support the “aging in place” viewpoint. Assisted living and hospice care work collectively to deliver residents with enhanced levels of care with a seamless transition.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice care in conjunction with Assisted Living provides people who are approaching the end of life the opportunity to stay in their existing environment without the disruption or stress of moving to another location unfamiliar to them.
The goal of hospice is not to cure or slow the process of an illness or disease but to provide comfort, assurance and ease of pain up until the end of life. It is also to offer the best possible quality of life. Hospice care provides a comprehensive and compassionate range of services and support, as we recognize that our loved ones all have uniquely different needs. Ensuring people receive end of life services in hospice care that are parallel to them and their family’s wishes, is of primary importance wherever home is.
When should hospice care be considered?
Hospice is designed for those who have 6 months or less to live due to their illness. Signs that it could be time to look into hospice consist of a loved one’s health drastically declining, refusing to eat or drink, spending the majority of their time in bed or symptoms that make it difficult for them to function independently with everyday tasks.
How does hospice care work with assisted living?
It is a widespread misunderstanding that people must go to a different facility to receive hospice services. Adults who live in assisted living, if diagnosed with a terminal illness, can choose to stay in their home and receive hospice care. It is up to the family and the individual to decide if they want to bring an outside hospice agency into the assisted living community. The two companies work closely together to deliver the finest care possible for the resident and their family.
Dan is Vice President, Marketing of the Alumus family of companies. A Seattle native, he earned his BA in Humanities and Political Science at Evergreen State College. He started his career as a newspaper columnist, eventually transitioning into marketing and tech writing for Microsoft and several other startups. He later launched a successful creative agency focused on branding, digital marketing, and content production in Los Angeles, where he worked for several nursing and behavioral health clients, eventually becoming the National Marketing Director for one of them.
He has taught Vipassana mindfulness meditation and MBSR and spends whatever free time he has with his son snowboarding, hiking, and camping in the mountains.
