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The people that reside in and around Destrehan are well known for their civic pride, generous nature, as well as strong family bonds. Whenever challenging times happen, the people of Destrehan have a history of pulling together and helping each other, just as they did when Hurricane Katrina rained devastation upon Southern Louisiana’s towns and cities. Sadly, life itself is filled with storms, and while the forces of nature cause most storms, others are simply part of living. Probably none more distressing than when somebody we care about develops an incurable illness. Still, these storms happen to each of us. Eventually, we will all need to deal with the death of the people we love because each of our lives will ultimately come to an end.
When a loved one is coming to the end of their life’s journey, most of us are poorly prepared and often at a loss as to where to go for the guidance we require to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar part of life. In many instances, hospice care is the solution we are in need of to support us through the challenges of nursing our loved ones 24 hours a day.
The majority of Destrehan residents probably believe that hospice is a place which terminally ill people go to die. However, hospice isn’t a place, and it is not about dying. In reality, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical treatment which improves the quality of life for our patients and their family caregivers. It also enables individuals that have a life-limiting condition to experience the best life attainable with the time they have left.
Hospice also makes it possible for people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Destrehan and remain in their homes with their families close to them. As a matter of fact, nearly ninety percent of the folks who elect hospice as a treatment continue to reside in their homes until their passing. It doesn’t matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Destrehan because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of the place they call home. Hospice Associates’ specialized staff will travel to your Destrehan home and provide the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will do it when you or your loved one needs it, anytime, day or night. Hospice Associates is only a phone call away.
How is it that one word could cause so much fear?
How does one particular word cause some people to cringe?
One word that most people never want to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it’s not nearly as frightening as some people may think it is. Hospice shouldn’t be a thing to be feared, hospice is something to be welcomed.
Hospice was initially a home for those with a terminal illness– a place where the dying would go to live out the last days of their lives. These days hospice is no longer viewed as a place. Instead, it is now thought of as more of a medical service that provides comfort and care to patients in their own homes. Whether that home is inside a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ home, or their personal home. Hospice can be offered to patients no matter the location they call home.
Among the biggest myths concerning hospice I have run into is that many people commonly believe hospice care is reserved only for individuals that only have a few days left to live. The reality is hospice becomes accessible as soon as a physician informs their patient that their condition is incurable and a cure is no longer a possibility.
My experiences as a hospice nurse have allowed me the to partake in the beauty of what hospice care can provide to a family. One of the many things I frequently hear from families is that they wish they would have known hospice was available long before they did. I think this is because hospice reduces the burden placed on families and provides them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice provides, families can begin to enjoy the time they have remaining with the ones they love.
I think this is because the sooner hospice is offered to a patient, the sooner they can let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones providing care to their loved one. And once they realize the relief hospice provides, they are able to begin appreciating the time they have left with their loved one.
Initially, we take families through every aspect of the disease’s process, so that they see exactly how the illness will advance and what they can come to expect. Then, as things occur, our team is available to answer all of their questions and address any problems they might have. With this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unfamiliar and are given the resources they require to help their loved ones throughout 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 many different things, but it is not restricted to just physical suffering. I have come to realize that spiritual pain is often just as challenging to relieve as physical pain . Our chaplain and social workers work together alongside our hospice nurses to treat each of the pains which may exist.
Hospice can also help to remove the limitations you might think your disease has put upon you. Our goal is for you to be truly comfortable and live each moment you have left to the fullest with your loved ones.
Almost all hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient calls home. Care can be offered at your personal home, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Anyone, whether a relative, patient, close friend, medical professional or healthcare professional, may make a referral to Hospice Associates. Referrals are completely confidential. If you know of an individual that is in need of our services, contact us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we may be a good fit for the individual you have concerns about.
The best time to learn more about hospice care is prior to you or somebody you care for actually requires 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 everybody impacted has a good understanding of what is available to them.
No, people of any age with a terminal illness are able to undergo hospice treatment.
Yes. Your physician becomes part of our team. Our team will communicate and consult with your doctor to best understand your individual requirements.
To receive hospice, you do not have to be inactive. Our goal is to help our patients live their lives to the fullest. We encourage our patients to do whatever they feel up to and continue to keep on doing 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 allows people that have developed a terminal illness to choose how they would like to spend the remainder of their lives. Hospice attends to the entire person, and their family is considered as part of the unit of care. It emphasizes pain management and enjoying life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice care is almost always completely paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that needs it can afford. Individual insurance can sometimes help fund the expense of things Medicare and Medicaid may not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative care to any qualified* person that resides within a fifty mile radius of New Orleans, that includes Destrehan.
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