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The families that live in and around North Vacherie are known for their sense of community, generous nature, as well as strong family bonds. Whenever challenging times come, the families of North Vacherie have a reputation for pulling together and supporting each other, just as they did when Katrina rained devastation upon Louisiana’s communities. Sadly, life itself is full of storms, and while the weather brings most storms, others are simply a part of living. Probably none more heartbreaking than when somebody we care for develops a terminal illness. Still, these storms happen to every family. Inevitably, we all will need to suffer through the loss of loved ones because all of our lives will ultimately come to its end.
When a person we love is reaching the end of their lives, most of us are ill prepared and oftentimes at a loss as to where to turn for the guidance we require to help us traverse this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In most instances, hospice is the solution we seek to help us through the difficulties of nursing our loved ones 24-7.
Most North Vacherie locals likely think that hospice is a place that terminally ill people go to pass away. But, hospice isn’t a place, and it isn’t about dying. In reality, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical care 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 terminal condition to live the best quality of life attainable with the time that they have been given.
Hospice also allows people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in North Vacherie and reside in their homes with their loved ones around them. In fact, almost 90% of the folks who elect hospice as a treatment option continue to remain in their homes up until their passing. It doesn’t matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in North Vacherie because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of where they call home. Hospice Associates’ caring staff will come to your North Vacherie home and deliver the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will do it whenever you or your loved one needs it, any time, 24 hours a day. Hospice Associates is always just a phone call away.
How is it that a single word can bring so much anxiety?
Why could one word cause people to cringe?
One word that most people never want to hear…
The word is HOSPICE, and it’s not as scary as some people might make it out to be. In reality, hospice isn’t something to fear… it is something to welcome.
Hospice was initially a shelter for those with a fatal disease– 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 more of a medical service that administers comfort and care to terminally ill patients in their homes. Regardless of whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ residence, or their very own home. Hospice can be administered to patients no matter just where they refer to as home.
One of the most prevalent myths relating to hospice I have run into is that many people often believe it is reserved exclusively for patients that only have a few days left to live. The reality is hospice becomes available when a doctor informs their patient that their disease is incurable and a cure is no longer a possibility.
My experiences as a hospice nurse have offered me the to witness the blessing of what hospice care offers to a family. Among the things I hear from families is that wish they would have known hospice was available well before they did. I think 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 start to enjoy the short time they have left with the ones they love.
I think this is because the more quickly hospice is offered to a family, the sooner they are able to let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones giving care to their family member. And once they realize the relief it provides, they are able to begin appreciating the short time they have left with their loved one.
First, we help walk families through every phase of the disease’s process, so that they see exactly how the illness will advance and what they can come to expect. Then, as issues arise, our team is available to answer each of their questions and address any concerns they might have. Because of this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unknown and are provided the resources 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 gives hospice patients as well as families with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be caused by many different things, but it isn’t restricted to merely bodily pain.
Hospice even aids to remove the barriers you may believe your illness has put on you. For many, gaining the awareness and learning what to expect may be freeing. We don’t put restrictions on what you can or can’t do. Our aim is to help you be as comfortable and experience each moment you have remaining to the fullest together with your loved ones.
Virtualy all hospice care is provided in-home, irrespective of the place the patient calls their home. Hospice may be offered at your private home, nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Any individual, whether a relative, patient, close friend, physician or healthcare professional, may make a recommendation to Hospice Associates. Recommendations are fully confidential. If you know of somebody that is in need of our services, call us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we would be a good fit for the individual you have concerns about.
The most suitable time to learn about hospice care is well before you or somebody you care for really requires hospice care. It’s never too late to learn more about hospice care or to discuss hospice with family members. By discussing hospice in advance, you ensure that every family member affected possesses a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, individuals of all ages with a life-limiting illness can receive hospice treatment.
Yes. Your doctor is part of our team. We will be in touch and consult with your physician to best understand your personal needs.
To receive hospice care, individuals don’t have to be inactive. Our objective is to help our patients live their lives to the fullest. We encourage people in our care to do whatever they feel capable of doing and continue to keep on doing the activities that bring them happiness.What helps make hospice special is that it concentrates on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care enables people that have developed a life-limiting illness to decide just how they would like to spend the remainder of their life. Hospice attends to the whole person, and their family is considered as part of the unit of care. It places emphasis on pain management and enjoying life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice care is almost always 100% covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that requires can afford. Individual insurance can on occasion help subsidize the cost of things Medicaid and Medicare might not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative care to every qualified* person that resides within a fifty mile radius of New Orleans, which includes North Vacherie.
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