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The people who reside in and near Boutte are well known for their sense of community, caring nature, as well as strong family bonds. When tough times come, the citizens of Boutte have a reputation for coming together and supporting one another, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Southern Louisiana’s parishes. Unfortunately, life itself is full of storms, and while the forces of nature cause most storms, others are just part of living. Probably none more traumatizing than when a person we care for develops an incurable illness. Even so, these storms happen to every family. Eventually, we will all need to suffer through the loss of a loved one because each of our lives will ultimately come to its end.
When someone we love is reaching the end of their lives, most of us are not prepared and frequently at a loss as to where to look for the assistance we need to help us traverse this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In many circumstances, hospice is the answer we seek to help us through the challenges of taking care of our loved ones full-time.
The majority of Boutte residents most likely think that hospice is a facility which terminally ill people go to pass away. But, hospice isn’t a place, and it is not about dying. In reality, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical treatment that improves the quality of life for the people in our care and their families. It also makes it possible for people who have a life-limiting illness to live the best quality of life attainable in the time that they have been given.
Hospice also makes it possible for people nearing the end of their lives to continue to live in Boutte and live in their homes with their family members nearby them. As a matter of fact, 90% of people that opt for hospice as a form of treatment continue to reside in their homes up until they pass on. It does not matter if they reside in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Boutte because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, irrespective of where they call home. Hospice Associates’ experienced staff will travel to your Boutte home and provide the compassionate care you or your loved one requires, and we will provide it whenever you or your loved one needs it, anytime, 24 hours a day. Hospice Associates is always just a phone call away.
How is it that one word could bring so much dread?
Why can one word cause some people to cringe?
One word that most people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it is not nearly as frightening as some people may think it is. As a matter of fact, hospice isn’t something anyone should fear… it is something to embrace.
Hospice was initially a home intended for those with a life-limiting illness– a place where the dying would go to live out the final days of their lives. Nowadays, hospice is no longer considered a place. Instead, it is now viewed as a medical service that delivers comfort and care to terminally ill patients in their own homes. Regardless of whether that home is within a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ residence, or their own personal home. Hospice can be provided to patients regardless of where they refer to as home.
Among the biggest misconceptions about hospice I have run into is that a lot people often believe it is exclusively for individuals that may only have a short while left to live. The fact is hospice becomes available when a physician informs their patient that their condition is incurable and a cure is no longer attainable.
My personal experiences as a hospice nurse have given me the opportunity to partake in the wonderful aspects of what hospice care provides to a family. Among the things I commonly hear from families is that many of them wish they would have known hospice was an option well before they did. I believe this is because hospice reduces the burden placed on the family and gives them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice offers, families can begin to appreciate the short time they have remaining with the ones they love.
I believe this is because the sooner hospice is made available to a patient, the sooner they are able to let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones offering care to their loved one. And when they see the relief it can provide, they are able to begin enjoying the short time they have left with their loved one.
Initially, we help walk family members through every aspect of the disease’s process, so they comprehend how the illness will advance and what they can come to expect. Then when things develop, we are readily available to respond to all of their questions and address any concerns they may have. With this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unknown and are provided the resources they require to help their loved ones throughout the process of dying.
This is not only for our patients but also for their family members. Comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. Hospice provides patients and their families with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be caused by many different things, but it is not restricted to just bodily pain.
Hospice also helps to remove the restraints you might think your disease has put on you. Our mission is for you to be truly comfortable and live each moment you have left to the fullest with your loved ones.
The majority of hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient considers their home. Hospice can be given at your private home, nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Any individual, whether a relative, patient, close friend, medical professional or healthcare professional, can make a recommendation to Hospice Associates. Recommendations are completely confidential. If you know of someone that is in need of our services, get in touch with us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we might be a good fit for the individual you are concerned for.
The best time to learn more about hospice care is prior to you or somebody you care for really needs it. However itis never too late to find out about hospice or to talk about hospice with your loved ones. By discussing hospice well in advance, you ensure that every family member impacted has a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
No, individuals of all ages with a terminal illness are able to receive hospice care.
Yes. Your physician is part of our team. We will keep in touch and coordinate with your physician to best understand your individual needs.
To receive hospice care, you don’t have to be sedentary. Our objective is to help our patients live their lives to the fullest. We encourage patients in our care to do whatever they feel up to and continue to do the things that bring them joy.What makes hospice so special is that it puts emphasis on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care enables people that have developed a life-limiting illness to specify just how they wish to spend the remainder of their lives. Hospice care attends to the entire person, and their family is viewed as part of the care unit. It places emphasis on pain control and enjoying life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice care is almost always 100% paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that needs it can afford. Individual insurance can on occasion help subsidize the cost of things Medicare and Medicaid might not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative care to every qualified* person that resides within a fifty mile radius of New Orleans, including Boutte.
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