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The people who reside in and around Mathews are well known for their civic pride, caring nature, as well as strong family bonds. Whenever challenging times come, the families of Mathews have a reputation for coming together and supporting one another, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Southern Louisiana’s communities. Sadly, life is filled with storms, and while the weather brings most storms, others are simply part of life. Probably none more devastating than when somebody we care for develops an incurable illness. Even so, these storms happen to every family. Eventually, we will all have to cope with the death of our loved ones because all of our lives will ultimately come to its end.
When someone we love is coming to the end of their life, many of us are poorly prepared and oftentimes at a loss as to where to look for the assistance we require to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In many instances, hospice is the answer we are in need of to support us through the difficulties of caring for our loved ones full-time.
Many Mathews residents probably believe that hospice is a place that people go to die. 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 loved ones. It also makes it possible for individuals diagnosed with a life-limiting condition to experience the best quality of life attainable in the time that they have been given.
Hospice also allows people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Mathews and live in their homes with their families near to them. In fact, close to 90% of the folks who elect hospice as a treatment option continue to stay in their residences until they pass on. It does not matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Mathews because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of where they call home. Hospice Associates’ specialized staff will come to your Mathews 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, any time, 24-7. Hospice Associates is always just a phone call away.
How is it that just one word can bring so much dread?
How can one particular word cause people to cringe?
One word that a lot of people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it’s not as frightening as one may think it is. Hospice isn’t something to be feared, it is something to be welcomed.
Hospice was initially a home intended for those with an incurable disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the remainder of their lives. Today hospice is no longer viewed as a destination. Instead, it is now viewed as a service that offers comfort and care to terminally ill patients in their homes. Regardless of whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, a member of the families’ house, or their own personal home. Hospice can be offered to patients irrespective of just where they refer to as home.
One of the primary misconceptions regarding hospice I’ve come across is that many people often think it is exclusively for patients that may only have a few days left to live. The truth is hospice becomes available as soon as a physician informs their patient that their disease is incurable and a cure is no longer possible.
My experiences as a hospice nurse have given me the opportunity to experience the wonderful aspects of what hospice care can offer to a family. One of the many things I often hear from families is that they wish they would have known hospice was available well before they did. I believe this is because hospice reduces the burden placed on family members and gives them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice provides, families can begin to appreciate the time they have left with the people they love.
I believe this is because the more quickly hospice is offered to a patient’s family, the sooner they are able to let go of the stress and fear of being the only ones providing care to their family member. And once they discover the relief hospice provides, they have the capacity to start enjoying the time they have left with their loved one.
We help walk families through every component of the disease process, so they can comprehend how illness will advance and what they should come to anticipate. Then, as things occur, our team is available to answer all of their questions and address any worries they may have. With this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unfamiliar and are given the resources they need 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 many different things, but it is not confined to just physical suffering. I have come to realize that spiritual pain can be equally challenging to lessen as physical suffering . Our chaplain and social workers strive together alongside our nurses to attend to each of the pains that can occur.
Hospice also helps to take off the restraints you may suspect your disease has put on you. For many, possessing the knowledge and learning what to expect can be freeing. We do not put limitations on what our patients can or can’t do. Our goal is to help you be as comfortable and experience each and every moment that you have remaining to the fullest with your loved ones.
Almost all hospice care is provided in-home, irrespective of the place the patient calls their home. Care can be given at your personal residence, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family homes.
Any person, whether a member of the family, patient, friend, personal doctor or healthcare professional, can make a referral to Hospice Associates. Referrals are totally 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 or not we might be a suitable fit for the person you have concerns for.
The best time to learn more about hospice care is before you or somebody you care for really requires hospice care. But it’s never too late to learn more about hospice care or to discuss hospice with family members. By talking about hospice care in advance, you ensure that every family member impacted possesses a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, individuals of any age with a terminal diagnosis can undergo hospice treatment.
Yes. Your doctor becomes part of our team. We will communicate and work with your physician to better understand your individual needs.
To receive hospice, individuals do not have to be inactive. Our mission is to help our patients live life to the fullest. We encourage people in our care to do whatever they feel up to and continue to keep on doing the activities that bring them joy.What helps make hospice special is that it puts emphasis on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care allows people which have developed a life-limiting illness to determine precisely how they would like to spend the remainder of their lives. Hospice attends to the whole person, and their family members are considered as part of the care unit. It places emphasis on pain control and living life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice is almost always 100% paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everyone that needs it can afford. Individual insurance can occassionaly help fund the expense of things Medicaid and Medicare may not cover.
Hospice Associates provides hospice and palliative care to all qualified* person that resides within a fifty mile radius of New Orleans, which includes Mathews.
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