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The people that live in and near Pearlington are well known for their sense of community, generous nature, as well as strong family values. When difficult times happen, the citizens of Pearlington have a history of coming together and supporting each other, just as they did when Katrina rained chaos upon Southern Louisiana’s parishes. Regrettably, life itself is full of storms, and while the weather cause most storms, others are just part of living. Probably none more traumatizing than when somebody we care about develops an incurable illness. Even so, these storms happen to each of us. Eventually, we will all need to cope with the loss of the people we love because each of our lives will ultimately come to an end.
When someone we love is reaching the end of their earthly life, many of us are poorly prepared and often 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 most instances, hospice is the solution we are seeking to support us with the difficulties of looking after our loved ones 24-7.
The majority of Pearlington residents likely believe that hospice is a facility which terminally ill people go to pass away. But, hospice is not a place, and it isn’t about dying. In reality, hospice is a compassionate, holistic medical treatment which improves the quality of life for our patients and their family caregivers. It also lets individuals diagnosed with a terminal condition to live the best life attainable with the time they have been given.
Hospice also allows people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Pearlington and live in their homes with their family members close to them. In fact, nearly 90% of the folks that elect hospice as a treatment option continue to stay in their homes up until their passing. It does not matter if they reside in a house, a retirement community, or an apartment in Pearlington because hospice is almost always conducted in a patient’s home, regardless of the place they call home. Hospice Associates’ caring staff will come to your Pearlington home and deliver the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will provide it whenever you or your loved one requires it, anytime, 24-7. Hospice Associates is no more than a phone call away.
How is it that one word could create so much anxiety?
Why can one word cause some people to cringe?
One word that a lot of people never hope to hear…
That word is HOSPICE, and it is not nearly as scary as you may think it is. Hospice should not be something to fear, it is something to be welcomed.
Hospice was originally a home intended for those with an incurable disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the last days of their lives. These days hospice is no longer thought of as a destination. Instead, it is now viewed as a medical service that provides comfort and care to patients in their homes. Regardless of whether that home is inside a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ residence, or their very own home. Hospice can be offered to patients no matter where they consider home.
Among the most prevalent misconceptions regarding hospice I’ve encountered is that many people quite often presume it is reserved only for individuals that only have a short while left to live. The reality is hospice becomes accessible when a physician informs their patient that their disease is terminal and a cure is no longer possible.
My experience as a hospice nurse have offered me the to experience the blessing of what hospice care can offer to a family. One of the many things I hear from family members is that many wish they would have known hospice was an option well before they did. I believe this is because hospice reduces much of the burden placed on families and provides them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice offers, families can start to appreciate the time they have left with the ones they love.
I believe this is because the sooner hospice is made available to a patient, the sooner they are able to let go of the anxiety and fear of being the only ones offering care to their family member. And when they realize the relief hospice provides, they are able to begin appreciating the time they have remaining with their loved one.
We help walk families through every component of the disease process, so they can comprehend how 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 lose the fear of the unknown and are provided the resources they are in need of 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 provides patients and family members spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be caused by several things, but it is not limited to just physical pain. I have found that spiritual pain could be just as challenging to ease as bodily pain is. Our chaplain and social workers work together alongside our hospice nurses to treat each of the pains which might exist.
Hospice even helps to take off the barriers you may suspect your illness has put on you. For many, gaining the awareness and knowing what you should expect can be freeing. We don’t put restrictions on what you can or can’t do. Our goal is to help you be as comfortable and experience each moment you have remaining to the fullest with your loved ones.
Virtualy all hospice care is provided in-home, irrespective of the place the patient calls their home. Hospice Care may be provided at your personal residence, retirement community, assisted living, group homes, or family homes.
Any person, whether a relative, patient, close friend, doctor or medical professional, may make a referral to Hospice Associates. Referrals are fully confidential. If you know of an individual that is in need of our services, phone us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we would be a suitable fit for the individual you are concerned for.
The most suitable opportunity to learn more about hospice care is well before you or somebody you love actually requires it. It’s never too late to find out about hospice or to discuss hospice with family members. By discussing hospice well in advance, you ensure that everybody impacted possesses a thorough understanding of what is available to them.
Not at all, individuals of any age with a terminal illness can receive hospice care.
Yes. Your family doctor becomes part of our team. Our team will communicate and consult with your physician to better understand your personal requirements.
To qualify for hospice care, you don’t have to be inactive. Our objective is to help our patients live life 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 joy.What helps make hospice so special is that it concentrates on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care allows people that have developed a life-limiting illness to specify just how they wish to spend the remainder of their life. Hospice attends to the entire person, and their family members are 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 covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something everybody that requires can afford. Private insurance can on occasion help subsidize the expense of items Medicaid and Medicare may not cover.
Hospice Associates provides hospice and palliative care to every qualified* man or woman that resides within a 50 mile radius of New Orleans, which includes Pearlington.
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