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The people who reside in and around Plattenville are known for their sense of community, generous nature, and strong family bonds. When difficult times come, the families of Plattenville have a history of coming together and helping each other, just as they did when Katrina brought chaos upon Louisiana’s parishes. Unfortunately, life is full of storms, and while the weather cause most storms, others are just a part of living. None more traumatizing than when somebody we care about develops an incurable illness. Still, these storms happen to every one of us. Inevitably, we all will have to cope with the passing 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, most of us are not prepared and frequently at a loss as to where to go for the guidance we need to help us traverse this challenging and often unfamiliar aspect of life. In most circumstances, hospice is the answer we are looking for to support us with the difficulties of nursing our loved ones full-time.
Many Plattenville residents probably think that hospice is a facility which people go to die. But, hospice is not a destination, and it isn’t 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 enables individuals with a terminal condition to experience the best quality of life attainable in the time that they have remaining.
Hospice also allows people approaching the end of their lives to continue to live in Plattenville and reside in their homes with their families near them. In fact, close to 90% of the people who embrace hospice as a treatment program 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 Plattenville 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 Plattenville home and administer the compassionate care you or your loved one needs, and we will do it whenever you or your loved one requires it, any time, 24-7. Hospice Associates is always just a phone call away.
How is it that a single word could create so much anxiety?
How could a single word cause some people to cringe?
One word that a lot of people never want to hear…
The word is HOSPICE, and it’s not nearly as frightening as you may think. Hospice should not be a thing to fear, it is something to be welcomed.
Hospice was initially a home for those with an incurable disease– a place where the dying would go to live out the final days of their lives. These days hospice is no longer viewed as a place. Instead, it is now viewed as more of a medical service that administers comfort and care to patients in their homes. Whether that home is in a nursing home, assisted living facility, relatives’ home, or their own home. Hospice can be offered to patients no matter just where they call home.
Among the most prevalent misconceptions relating to hospice I’ve run into is that a lot people commonly assume hospice is reserved exclusively for individuals that may only have a couple of days left to live. The truth 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 allowed me the to witness the wonderful aspects of what hospice care can offer to a family. One of the things I learn from families is that they wish they would have known hospice was available long before they did. I think this is because hospice reduces the burden placed on families and gives them peace of mind. Once they understand the relief hospice provides, families can start to enjoy the time they have remaining with the ones they love.
I think this is because the sooner hospice is made available to a patient’s family, the sooner they are able to let go of the stress and fear of being the only ones giving care to their family member. And once they realize the relief it offers, they have the chance to begin appreciating the short time they have remaining with their loved one.
We help walk families through each and every aspect of the disease process, so they can comprehend how disease will progress and what they can come to anticipate. Then, as things develop, we are available to answer each of their questions and address any worries they might have. Because of this knowledge and understanding, families lose the fear of the unknown and are provided the resources they need to help their loved ones throughout 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 patients and families with spiritual, psychosocial, and physical comfort. Pain can be caused by many different things, but it is not restricted to merely bodily pain.
Hospice even helps to take off the barriers you may suspect your illness has placed on you. For a few, possessing the knowledge and learning what you should expect can be liberating. We never put limitations on what you can or can not do. Our goal is to help you be as comfortable and live each and every moment you have left to the fullest together with the ones you love.
Almost all hospice care is provided in-home, irrespective of the place the patient considers their home. Hospice can be offered at your personal residence, nursing homes, assisted living, group homes, or family residences.
Any individual, whether a family member, patient, friend, personal doctor or healthcare professional, may make a recommendation to Hospice Associates. Referrals are fully confidential. If you know of somebody that is in need of our services, phone us at 504-457-2200 to discuss whether or not we may be a suitable fit for the individual you have concerns for.
The most suitable opportunity to learn about hospice care is well before you or somebody you love actually requires hospice care. It is never too late to find out about hospice or to talk about hospice with your family. By discussing hospice in advance, you ensure that everyone impacted has a good understanding of what is available to them.
No, individuals of all ages with a life-limiting diagnosis can receive hospice care.
Yes. Your doctor is part of our team. Our team will be in touch and coordinate with your doctor to best understand your individual requirements.
To qualify for hospice, you don’t have to be inactive. Our mission is to help our patients live life to the fullest. We encourage our patients to do whatever they feel capable of doing and continue to do the things that bring them happiness.What makes hospice so special is that it puts emphasis on patient care and not on a cure. Hospice care enables people which have developed a life-limiting illness to decide how they wish to spend the rest of their lives. Hospice attends to the entire person, and their family members are considered as part of the unit of care. It emphasizes pain management and enjoying life fully.
Hospice services, even in-home hospice care is usually completely covered by Medicare and Medicaid, so hospice care is something every peson that needs it can afford. Individual insurance can on occasion help subsidize the cost of items Medicare and Medicaid may not cover.
Hospice Associates provides hospice and palliative care to every qualified* person that resides within a 50 mile radius of New Orleans, which includes Plattenville.
Hospice volunteers are generally available to provide different types of support to patients and their loved ones, which can include:
Call Us: 504-457-2200
FAX: 504-457-2207
Physician managed hospice
and palliative care