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The people who live in and near Central are known for their civic pride, caring nature, as well as strong family bonds. When difficult times occur, the people of Central have a reputation for pulling together and helping each other, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Louisiana’s parishes. Unfortunately, life is filled with storms, and while the forces of nature brings most storms, others are just a part of living. None more traumatizing than when someone we care for develops a terminal illness. Even so, these storms happen to every family. Eventually, we will all have to cope with the death of a loved one because all of our lives will ultimately come to an end.
When a loved one is coming to the end of their life, most of us are ill prepared and oftentimes at a loss as to where to look for the assistance we need to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar part of life. In many circumstances, hospice is the solution we seek to help us with the difficulties of looking after our loved ones full-time.
Many Central locals probably believe that hospice is a facility that sick people go to pass away. But, hospice isn’t a place, and it isn’t about dying. The truth is, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical care which improves the quality of life for the people in our care and their family caregivers. It also makes it possible for people that have a terminal illness to experience the best quality of life possible in the time that they have been given.
Hospice also makes it possible for people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Central and reside in their homes with their family members near to them. As a matter of fact, 90% of the folks that choose hospice as a form of treatment continue to stay in their homes until they pass on. It doesn’t matter if they reside in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Central because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of the place they call home. Hospice Associates’ experienced staff will come to your Central home and deliver the compassionate care you or your loved one requires, and we will do it when you or your loved one requires it, any time, 24-7. Hospice Associates is only a phone call away.
How is it that one word can create so much fear?
How could a single word cause some people to cringe?
One word that a lot of people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it’s not as scary as some may think it is. In truth, hospice isn’t something to fear… it is something to welcome.
Hospice was initially a shelter for those with an incurable illness– a place where the dying would go to live out the last days of their lives. Today hospice is no longer thought of as a place. Instead, it is now thought of as a medical service that provides comfort and care to patients in their own homes. Regardless of whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, family members’ residence, or their own home. Hospice can be provided to patients regardless of just where they call home.
Among the leading myths relating to hospice I have encountered is that a lot people quite often presume it is reserved exclusively for patients that may only have a couple of days left to live. The reality is hospice becomes available when a doctor informs their patient that their condition is terminal and a cure is no longer attainable.
My experiences as a hospice nurse have allowed me the chance to witness the beauty of what hospice care offers to a family. One of the things I frequently hear from family members is that they wish they would have known hospice was an option long before they did. I think this is because hospice reduces much of 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 time they have left with the people they love.
I believe this is because the sooner hospice is offered to a patient’s family, the sooner they are able to let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones providing care to their loved one. And once they discover the freedom hospice provides, they have the opportunity to begin appreciating the time they have left with their loved one.
We help walk families through every aspect of the disease process, so they can understand how disease will advance and what they can come to expect. Then when things occur, we are available to respond to all of their questions and address any concerns they may have. With this knowledge and understanding, families shed the fear of the unfamiliar and are provided the tools 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 offers hospice patients and family members with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be brought on by many different things, however, it is not limited to just physical pain.
Hospice also aids to take off the barriers you may feel your illness has placed on you. For many, having the awareness and recognizing what you should expect can be freeing. We never put limitations on what our patients can or can’t do. Our goal is to help you be as comfortable and experience each moment that you have remaining to the fullest with your loved ones.
The majority of hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient calls home. Care can be offered at your private residence, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Any individual, whether a member of the family, patient, close friend, medical professional or healthcare professional, can make a recommendation to Hospice Associates. Recommendations are completely confidential. If you know of an individual 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 person you have concerns for.
The most suitable opportunity to learn about hospice care is well before you or someone you love really needs hospice care. It’s never too late to find out about hospice care or to discuss hospice with your family. By talking about hospice care in advance, you ensure that everyone impacted has a good understanding of what is available to them.
No, people of any age with a life-limiting illness can receive hospice care.
Yes. Your doctor becomes part of our team. We will keep in touch and coordinate with your doctor to best understand your personal needs.
To qualify for hospice, you don’t have to be sedentary. Our goal is to help our patients live their lives to the fullest. We encourage our patients to do whatever they feel capable of doing and continue to do the things that bring them happiness.What helps make hospice so special is that it focuses on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care makes it possible for people which have developed a life-limiting illness to choose just how they wish to spend the rest of their lives. Hospice ministers to the whole person, and their family is considered as part of the care unit. It places emphasis on pain management and enjoying life fully.
Hospice services, even in-home hospice care is usually 100% paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that requires can afford. Individual insurance can on occasion help subsidize the expense of things Medicare and Medicaid may not cover.
Hospice Associates provides hospice and palliative care to any qualified* man or woman that resides within a fifty mile radius of New Orleans, including Central.
Hospice volunteers are generally available to provide different types of support to patients and their loved ones, often including:
Call Us: 504-457-2200
FAX: 504-457-2207
Physician managed hospice
and palliative care