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The Louisianians who live in and near Arabi are well known for their civic pride, generous nature, as well as strong family bonds. Whenever difficult times occur, the people of Arabi have a reputation for coming together and supporting one another, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Louisiana’s towns and cities. Sadly, life itself has many storms, and while the forces of nature brings most storms, others are simply a part of living. Likely none more traumatizing than when a person we care for develops an incurable illness. Still, these storms happen to every one of us. Inevitably, we will all need to cope with the passing of the people we love because each of our lives will ultimately come to its end.
When someone we love is coming to the end of their earthly life, most of us are not prepared and frequently at a loss as to where to turn for the guidance we need to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar part of life. In most circumstances, hospice is the answer we really need to support us with the challenges of taking care of our loved ones 24-7.
Most Arabi residents probably believe that hospice is a facility which people go to die. However, hospice is not a place, and it isn’t about dying. The truth is, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical treatment that improves the quality of life for the people in our care and their family caregivers. It also permits individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness to lead the best quality of life attainable with the time that they have left.
Hospice also allows people nearing the end of their lives to continue to live in Arabi and live in their homes with their families nearby them. In fact, ninety percent of the people who opt for hospice as a treatment program continue to remain in their homes up until they pass on. It does not matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Arabi because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, irrespective of where they call home. Hospice Associates’ experienced staff will come to your Arabi home and deliver the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will provide it whenever you or your loved one requires it, any time, 24 hours a day. Hospice Associates is no more than a phone call away.
How is it that a single word could create so much fear?
How does one word often cause people to cringe?
One word that most people never want to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it’s not nearly as scary as one might make it out to be. In reality, hospice is not something we should fear… it is something we should embrace.
Hospice was initially a shelter intended for those with a terminal disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the remainder of their lives. Nowadays, hospice is no longer viewed as a place. Instead, it is now viewed as more of a medical service that provides comfort and care to patients in their own homes. Whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ home, or their personal home. Hospice can be administered to patients no matter where they consider home.
Among the primary mistaken beliefs concerning hospice I have encountered is that a lot people quite often presume hospice is reserved exclusively for patients that may only have a few days left to live. The truth is hospice becomes available as soon as a doctor tells their patient that their condition is incurable and a cure is no longer possible.
My personal experience as a hospice nurse have allowed me the chance to experience the beauty of what hospice care can offer to a family. Among the many things I commonly hear from families is that many of them wish they would have known hospice was an option long before they did. I believe this is because hospice reduces much of the burden placed on family members and gives them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice provides, families can start to appreciate the time they have left with the ones they love.
I think this is because the sooner hospice is made available to a patient’s family, the sooner they can let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones giving care to their family member. And when they recognize the freedom it offers, they have the capacity to start appreciating the short time they have left with their loved one.
Initially, we help walk families through every aspect of the disease process, so that they see just how the illness will advance and what they can come to expect. Then when things develop, we are available to answer all of their questions and tend to any worries they may have. Because of this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unfamiliar and are given the resources they are in need of to help their loved ones through the dying process.
This is not only for our patients but also for their families. Comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. Hospice provides patients and family members spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be caused by several things, but it is not confined to just physical pain. I have come to realize that spiritual pain can be just as challenging to relieve as bodily suffering is. Our chaplain and social workers work together alongside our hospice nurses to treat all of the pains which may be present.
Hospice even helps to remove the restrictions you may feel your disease has put on you. For some, possessing the knowledge and recognizing what you should expect can be liberating. We do not put limitations on what our patients can or can’t do. Our aim is to help you be as comfortable and enjoy each moment that you have left to the fullest with the ones you love.
Virtualy all hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient considers their home. Care may be offered at your personal residence, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family homes.
Any person, whether a relative, patient, friend, physician or medical professional, may make a referral to Hospice Associates. Referrals are totally confidential. If you know of someone that is in need of our services, call us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we may be a suitable fit for the individual you have concerns for.
The ideal opportunity to learn more about hospice care is prior to you or someone you care for actually requires hospice care. However itis never too late to learn about hospice or to go over hospice with your loved ones. By talking about hospice in advance, you ensure that every family member impacted possesses a good understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, people of all ages with a terminal diagnosis are able to undergo hospice care.
Yes. Your physician becomes part of our team. We will be in touch and work with your doctor to better understand your personal needs.
To qualify for hospice, you do not have to be inactive. Our objective is to help our patients live life to the fullest. We encourage patients in our care to do whatever they feel capable of doing and continue to do the things that bring them joy.What helps make hospice special is that it focuses on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice makes it possible for people which have developed a terminal illness to choose precisely how they would like to spend the remainder of their life. Hospice attends to the entire person, and their family is considered as part of the care unit. It places emphasis on pain control and living life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice care is usually 100% covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that needs it can afford. Private insurance can sometimes help fund the expense of items Medicaid and Medicare may not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative care to any qualified* man or woman that resides within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans, which includes Arabi.
Hospice volunteers are generally available to provide different types of support to patients and their loved ones, including:
Call Us: 504-457-2200
FAX: 504-457-2207
Physician managed hospice
and palliative care