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The Louisianians who live in and around Paulina are known for their sense of community, caring nature, as well as strong family bonds. Whenever tough times come, the people of Paulina have a reputation for coming together and helping each other, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Southern Louisiana’s towns and cities. Unfortunately, life is full of storms, and while the forces of nature brings most storms, others are just a part of life. None more traumatizing than when somebody we care about develops an incurable illness. Still, these storms happen to all of us. Eventually, we all will need to suffer through the loss of a loved one because each of our lives will ultimately come to an end.
When a person we love is reaching the end of their life’s journey, many of us are poorly prepared and frequently at a loss as to where to go for the assistance we need to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In many instances, hospice care is the answer we are seeking to help us with the challenges of attending to our loved ones full-time.
Many Paulina locals likely think that hospice is a place which sick people go to pass away. However, hospice isn’t a destination, and it is not about dying. The truth is, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical treatment that improves the quality of life for the people in our care and their family caregivers. It also allows people with a terminal illness to experience the best quality of life attainable in the time they have been given.
Hospice also allows people nearing the end of their lives to continue to live in Paulina and live in their homes with their family members close to them. In fact, nearly 90% of the people that choose hospice as a treatment program continue to remain in their homes up until they pass on. It does not matter if they live in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Paulina because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of where they call home. Hospice Associates’ caring staff will travel to your Paulina home and provide the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will provide it when you or your loved one needs it, any time, day or night. Hospice Associates is only a phone call away.
How is it that one word could bring so much fear?
How can a single word often cause some people to cringe?
One word that many people never want to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it is not as scary as some may think. Hospice should not be a thing to fear, hospice is something to be welcomed.
Hospice was originally a home for those with a terminal disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the final days of their lives. Nowadays, hospice is no longer thought of as a destination. Instead, it is now viewed as more of a medical service that provides comfort and care to patients in their own homes. Whether that home is within a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ residence, or their very own home. Hospice can be provided to patients regardless of where they consider home.
Among the leading mistaken beliefs regarding hospice I’ve run into is that many people quite often presume hospice care is only for people that may only have a short while left to live. The fact is hospice becomes accessible when a physician tells their patient that their disease is incurable and a cure is no longer possible.
My personal experiences as a hospice nurse have offered me the chance to partake in the blessing of what hospice care provides to a family. Among the things I commonly hear from family members is that wish they would have known hospice was available 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 provides, families can start to appreciate the short time they have remaining with the people they love.
I think this is because the more quickly 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 offering care to their loved one. And once they understand the freedom it offers, they have the chance 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 they comprehend how the illness will progress and what they can come to expect. Then when things develop, we are available to respond to all of their questions and tend to any concerns they may have. With this knowledge and understanding, families shed the fear of the unknown and are given 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 families. Comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. Hospice offers hospice patients as well as family members with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be brought on by many different things, but it isn’t limited to merely bodily pain.
Hospice also aids to take off the restrictions you may suspect your illness has placed on you. For a few, possessing the awareness and understanding what you should expect can be liberating. We do not put restrictions on what our patients can or can’t do. Our goal is to help you be as comfortable and experience every moment that you have left 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. Care may be given at your private residence, nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, or family homes.
Any individual, whether a relative, patient, close friend, medical professional or healthcare professional, can make a referral to Hospice Associates. Recommendations are completely confidential. If you know of someone that is in need of our services, contact us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we would be a good fit for the person you are concerned for.
The most suitable opportunity to learn about hospice care is before you or someone you love really requires it. However it’s never too late to learn about hospice care or to explore hospice with your family. By talking about hospice care in advance, you ensure that everyone impacted possesses a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
No, people of all ages with a life-limiting illness can undergo hospice treatment.
Yes. Your doctor becomes part of our team. We will keep in touch and consult with your doctor to better understand your individual needs.
To receive hospice, individuals do not need to be inactive. Our mission 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 keep on doing the things that bring them joy.What makes hospice special is that it concentrates on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice enables people which have developed a life-limiting illness to specify how they wish to spend the remainder of their life. Hospice treats the entire person, and their family members are considered as part of the care unit. It places emphasis on pain management and enjoying life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice is usually completely paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everyone that requires can afford. Individual insurance can sometimes help fund the cost of things Medicare and Medicaid may not cover.
Hospice Associates provides hospice and palliative care to any qualified* individual that resides within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans, that includes Paulina.
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