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The families that reside in and around Pearl River are well known for their sense of community, generous nature, as well as strong family bonds. When difficult times happen, the citizens of Pearl River have a history of coming together and supporting each other, just as they did when Katrina rained chaos upon Southern Louisiana’s parishes. Sadly, life is filled with storms, and while the weather brings most storms, others are simply part of living. Probably none more traumatizing than when someone we care for develops an incurable illness. Still, these storms happen to every family. Eventually, we all will need to cope with the death of the people we love because each of our lives will ultimately come to its end.
When a person we love is reaching the end of their earthly life, most of us are not prepared and frequently at a loss as to where to turn for the guidance we need to help us through this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In most instances, hospice care is the answer we are in need of to support us through the challenges of looking after our loved ones full-time.
The majority of Pearl River natives probably believe that hospice is a place that terminally ill people go to die. But, hospice isn’t a destination, and it isn’t about dying. The truth is, 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 lets individuals with a terminal illness to lead the best quality of life attainable with the time that they have left.
Hospice also allows people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Pearl River and reside in their homes with their families around them. As a matter of fact, close to ninety percent of the people who opt for hospice as a form of treatment continue to reside in their residences until their passing. It does not matter if they reside in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Pearl River because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, irrespective of the place they call home. Hospice Associates’ specialized staff will travel to your Pearl River home and administer 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 a single word can instill so much anxiety?
How does one word cause some people to cringe?
One word that many people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it is not nearly as scary as some might make it out to be. Actually, hospice isn’t something anyone should fear… it is something we should welcome.
Hospice was originally a shelter for those with a fatal illness– a place where the dying would go to live out the final days of their lives. Nowadays, hospice is no longer viewed as a destination. Instead, it is now viewed as a service that administers comfort and care to patients in their homes. Whether that home is inside a nursing home, assisted living facility, family members’ home, or their own home. Hospice can be administered to patients no matter where they refer to as home.
Among the primary myths concerning hospice I have come across is that many people often believe it is exclusively for people that only have a few days left to live. The truth is hospice becomes accessible as soon as a physician tells their patient that their condition is terminal and a cure is no longer attainable.
My experience as a hospice nurse have offered me the opportunity to witness the beauty of what hospice care provides to a family. One of the many things I often hear from family members is that many of them wish they would have known hospice was an option well before they did. I believe this is because hospice reduces the burden placed on the family and gives them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice offers, families can begin to appreciate the short time they have remaining with the ones they love.
I believe this is because the more quickly hospice is made available to a patient’s family, the sooner they are able to let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones providing care to their loved one. And when they understand the relief hospice provides, they have the chance to start enjoying the short time they have left with their loved one.
We help walk families through each and every aspect of the disease process, so they can comprehend how disease will advance and what they should come to expect. Then, as issues develop, we are available to answer all of their questions and address any problems they may have. Because of this knowledge and understanding, families shed the fear of the unknown and are given the resources they need to help their loved ones through the process of dying.
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 gives hospice patients and families with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be brought on by many different things, however, it isn’t restricted to merely physical pain.
Hospice also helps to remove the limitations you may believe your disease has placed upon you. Our mission is for you to be truly comfortable and live each moment you have left to the fullest with your loved ones.
The majority of hospice care is provided in-home, regardless of the place the patient considers home. Care may be offered at your private residence, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family homes.
Any person, whether a member of the family, patient, close friend, physician or healthcare professional, can make a referral to Hospice Associates. Recommendations are fully confidential. If you know of an individual that is in need of our services, call us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we may be a suitable fit for the individual you are concerned for.
The best occasion to learn about hospice care is well before you or someone you love really requires it. However, it’s never too late to find out about hospice or to discuss hospice with your family. By discussing hospice well in advance, you ensure that everyone impacted has a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, individuals of all ages with a terminal illness are able to receive hospice care.
Yes. Your physician becomes part of our team. We will communicate and consult with your doctor to better understand your individual needs.
To receive hospice, individuals don’t have to be inactive. Our mission 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 things that bring them joy.What helps make hospice special is that it places emphasis on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice enables people that have developed a terminal illness to determine precisely how they would like to spend the remainder of their life. Hospice care attends to the whole person, and their family is viewed as part of the unit of care. It emphasizes pain management and living life fully.
Hospice care, even in-home hospice care is usually completely paid for by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that requires can afford. Individual insurance can on occasion help fund the cost of items Medicare and Medicaid might not cover.
Hospice Associates offers hospice and palliative services to any qualified* man or woman that resides within a 50-mile radius of New Orleans, including Pearl River.
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