18 Oct, 2018
“I’m going to remove your IV now.” The nurse’s words pieced through the silence as the two sisters sat quietly in an adjoining room. LB Hospice was called shortly after the breakfast hour. The sisters hadn’t seen breath movements on their brother that morning and promptly called the hospice caregivers at LB Homes. The nurse caring for their brother exhibited an example of why we are celebrating our care staff at LB Homes during Home Care and Hospice month.
Many who receive hospice and home care are directed to the care late in the process. Doctors and individuals alike can often see hospice and home care as giving up. Hospice and home care are very different care services that should be engaged early in a transition process to help individuals and family members in the physical, emotional, and spiritual adjustments they will make in the near to distant future.
Hospice care is best utilized six months before an individual passes. At LB Homes one of the questions we engage is if an individual will pass in the next year. If a family member’s passing feels like it will occur in the next year, we believe hospice care should be engaged. Hospice provides quality life supporting services to enable the best life care through the end of life. Often those who engage hospice early rather than later see their timeline extend because they have extra care and support from trained staff who are directly monitoring medications and can help navigate pain and other physical changes.
In home care many families can put off their concerns about a loved one, rationalizing that they would like the loved one to have more freedom at home. Home care provides nursing visits and care giving tips to help individuals stay home longer. This type of care is less expensive than assisted living or long term care.
LB Homes is recognized in the area for their consistent and holistic care, specifically in the realm of home care and hospice. We have countless stories, like the one touched-on above. We thank our nurses and staff for engaging difficult conversations and challenging situations. We see our staff consistently caring for individuals with special attention to their humanity, and are delighted to celebrate our staff during the month of November. We want you to recognize this care as well as we celebrate home care and hospice month.
