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The Louisianians that live in and near Lacombe are well known for their sense of community, caring nature, and strong family values. When tough times occur, the citizens of Lacombe have a reputation for pulling together and helping one another, just as they did when Hurricane Katrina brought devastation upon Southern Louisiana’s parishes. Sadly, life has many storms, and while the forces of nature brings most storms, others are just a part of living. Likely none more overwhelming than when somebody we care for develops a terminal illness. Even so, these storms happen to each of us. Eventually, we will all have to suffer through the death of the people we love 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 poorly prepared and oftentimes at a loss as to where to look for the guidance we need to help us traverse this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In many instances, hospice care is the solution we need to support us with the challenges of caring for our loved ones 24-7.
Most Lacombe natives probably believe that hospice is a place which people go to die. But, hospice isn’t a destination, and it isn’t 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 loved ones. It also lets individuals with a life-limiting condition to lead the best life possible in the time that they have remaining.
Hospice also makes it possible for people nearing the end of their lives to continue to live in Lacombe and live in their homes with their family members near to them. As a matter of fact, around 90% of the people who opt for hospice as a treatment option continue to remain in their residences up until they pass on. It doesn’t matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Lacombe because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, irrespective of the place they call home. Hospice Associates’ caring staff will travel to your Lacombe home and provide the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will provide it whenever you or your loved one needs it, anytime, 24-7. Hospice Associates is no more than a phone call away.
How is it that a single word can bring so much anxiety?
How can a single word cause people to cringe?
One word that a lot of people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it’s not nearly as frightening as some may think. Hospice isn’t a thing to fear, it is something to be embraced.
Hospice was originally a shelter intended for those with a terminal disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the last days of their lives. Today hospice is no longer considered a destination. Instead, it is now viewed as more of a medical service that delivers comfort and care to patients in their own homes. Whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, a member of the families’ house, or their own home. Hospice can be provided to patients irrespective of the location they consider home.
Among the primary myths about hospice I’ve run into is that a lot people often think hospice care is reserved exclusively for patients that only have a couple of days left to live. The truth is hospice becomes accessible when a doctor informs their patient that their disease is terminal and a cure is no longer possible.
My experience as a hospice nurse have given me the to witness the wonderful aspects of what hospice care can offer to a family. One of the things I often learn from families is that many of them wish they would have known hospice was an option 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 offers, families can begin to appreciate the short time they have left with the people they love.
I think this is because the sooner hospice is offered to a family, the sooner they are able to let go of the stress and fear of being the only ones giving care to their family member. And when they discover the relief hospice offers, they have the ability to begin enjoying the short time they have left with their loved one.
Initially, we walk families through every aspect of the disease’s process, so that they see exactly how the illness will progress and what they can come to expect. Then when things occur, we are readily available to respond to all of their questions and address any worries they may have. Because of this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unfamiliar and are provided the tools 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 family members. Comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. Hospice offers patients as well as families with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be brought on by many different things, however, it isn’t limited to just physical pain.
Hospice also helps to take off the barriers you may suspect your condition has placed on you. For a few, gaining the awareness and learning what you should expect can be liberating. We never put limitations on what our patients can or can’t do. Our aim is to help you be as comfortable and enjoy each and every moment you have left to the fullest with the ones you love.
The majority of hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient considers their home. Care may be given at your private residence, nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Any person, whether a family member, patient, close friend, medical professional or medical professional, can make a referral to Hospice Associates. Referrals are entirely confidential. If you know of anyone that is in need of our services, get in touch with us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether we may be a good fit for the person you are concerned about.
The best occasion to learn about hospice care is before you or someone you love actually requires it. It’s never too late to learn about hospice or to discuss hospice with family members. By talking about hospice care well in advance, you ensure that everyone impacted possesses a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, individuals of any age with a life-limiting illness are able to undergo hospice treatment.
Yes. Your doctor is part of our team. We will keep in touch and coordinate with your physician to best understand your personal requirements.
To receive hospice care, individuals don’t need to be sedentary. Our objective is to help our patients live life to the fullest. We encourage our patients to do whatever they feel capable of doing and continue to do the activities 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 which have developed a terminal illness to specify precisely how they wish to spend the rest of their lives. Hospice care ministers to the entire person, and their family is considered as part of the unit of care. It places emphasis on pain management and living life fully.
Hospice services, even in-home hospice care is usually 100% covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that needs it can afford. Individual insurance can occassionaly help fund the expense of items Medicare and Medicaid may not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative care to any qualified* person that resides within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans, that includes Lacombe.
Hospice volunteers are generally available to provide different types of support to patients and their loved ones, including:
Physician managed hospice
and palliative care
Call Us: 504-457-2200
FAX: 504-457-2207