Category Archives - News | Cardinal Hospice

10 08, 2020

The Major Benefits of Hospice Care
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The Major Benefits of Hospice Care

lhg-admin2020-09-10T05:42:59+00:00Categories: News|Tags: hospice care, Hospice Michigan, Hospice Saginaw|

Are you finding yourself searching for "hospice near me?" If you do, this article is especially for you! Here, we will discuss everything about hospice care along with some details about the best hospice Saginaw has. So, make sure you read until the end! Hospice is basically a healthcare offering that aims at providing a better quality of life and comfort for the people suffering from a critical and life-limiting health condition. Hospice provides the best possible care and compassion to the people who are in the final stages of some incurable disease. It focuses on providing a fully comfortable and happy environment for the patients so that they can spend their time in a better and less stressful way. Because a majority of the patients in hospice are in the last stages of incurable diseases, they usually die a peaceful death. Such care affirms life but does not necessarily postpone death. The basic philosophy is to treat the person compassionately so that he can live his last days with dignity and quality. Also, the hospice care center is family-centered, which means family members take a full part in making necessary decisions for the patient. Additionally, hospice care affords them the time to spend enjoying their loved one, rather than acting as interim caregivers. What is [...]

6 08, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions About Palliative Care
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Frequently Asked Questions About Palliative Care

lhg-admin2020-08-20T12:19:17+00:00Categories: News|Tags: Curative Care, Frequently Asked Questions, Palliative Care|

If you are considering palliative care options for a loved one, or even for yourself, you may find the wealth of information out there overwhelming. We get it! That's why this month, we've compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding palliative care. Reading these should provide you with some confidence about the options available to you, or at least provide a strong jumping-off point for your continued research. Palliative Care: FAQs for You and Your Loved Ones Is palliative care the same as curative care? No! Palliative care differs from curative care in that the former deals with diagnosing, treating, and preventing symptoms associated with serious, or life-threatening, illnesses. The goal of curative care is to create complete relief from the symptoms. Palliative management, on the other hand, includes the comfort and pain management for seriously ill or terminally ill patients. Palliative care also includes psychological counseling and support for the patient and their loved ones as they go through the process of managing a chronic illness. While curative care deals with providing cures to serious illnesses, palliative care deals more with comfort and pain management. An example of curative care might be chemotherapy for patients with cancer. However, in this instance, curative care and palliative care would go together hand-in-hand to ensure [...]

9 06, 2020

ER or Palliative Care? Weighing Your Options
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ER or Palliative Care? Weighing Your Options

lhg-admin2020-08-20T12:17:20+00:00Categories: News|Tags: Emergency Room, Palliative Care, Saginaw|

If you or a loved one are suffering from serious, chronic illness, you’re likely no stranger to the emergency room. When someone’s body is already engaged in the fight of their life, any comorbidity seems like an urgent reason to head to the emergency room. However, the emergency room can present its own set of challenges. From viral infections spread throughout the waiting rooms to long and stressful wait times, the emergency room is nobody’s favorite place. With this in mind, it’s worth considering your options. A question especially worth answering is whether a palliative care service can provide the same level of care as an emergency room visit with a heightened level of comfort. Defining Palliative Care Dr. Diane Meier is a leading expert in palliative care, and she beautifully summarizes palliative care as “a partnership between the patient and the clinician.” Palliative care is a service provided by a specially-trained team of physicians, nurses, and specialists, who offer care to relieve the symptoms and stress of a particular instance. The aim of such care is to ensure patients remain comfortable and their families can focus on enjoying their time with them, rather than transitioning to full-time caregivers overnight. Palliative Care Patient Characteristics Because palliative care is meant to relieve the symptoms of chronic illness, [...]

30 05, 2020

When to Make the Shift from Chronic to End of Life Care
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When to Make the Shift from Chronic to End of Life Care

lhg-admin2020-08-20T12:20:00+00:00Categories: News|Tags: End of Life Care, hospice care, Palliative Care|

Determining when your loved one should transition from chronic care to end of life care can be one of the most challenging things you will ever undertake. Though there is no specific point in a medical diagnosis where end of life care technically begins, the decision must be made on an individual patient's case--based on their unique status and the progression of their respective illness. Doctors may advise their patients on the states of a diagnosis that can offer general guidelines regarding the progressions of a specific disease. Additionally, there are other signs that it could be time to make the leap into end of life care. Some examples might include: The patient has visited the emergency room multiple times during a short period. Although they were stabilized, their condition continues to worsen over time. The patient has begun refusing the proper treatment because of their awareness of the depth of progression of their condition. Despite consistent medical care, the patient's condition continues to decline. The patient may wish to remain at home rather than continuing to make trips to the hospital. Who is End of Life Care For? Any person with a life-threatening illness is eligible for hospice care. Such care is not limited by type of disease, age, background, culture, or belief. Supportive care, [...]

16 04, 2020

Hospice vs. Comfort Care
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Hospice vs. Comfort Care

lhg-admin2020-08-20T12:27:34+00:00Categories: News|Tags: Comfort Care, Hospice, Hospice Saginaw|

Hospice care and comfort care are similar options for end of life care. Even though the two are set up to offer comfort to the patients, their programs differ significantly regarding payment, timing, location, and eligibility for services. So, let’s look at the differences between the two. Care Location Hospice programs surpass comfort care programs. Typically, once registered via a referral from the chief care physician, a patient’s hospice care program is provided at home under the supervision of hospice professionals. Hospice mainly depends on the family caregiver and the nurse administering the hospice care. Although a hospice can offer the needed care in a nursing home or any other hospital equipped facility, it’s not feasible. On the other hand, a comfort care team comprises of nurses, doctors, and other trained medical caregivers, who are ever-present at the treatment facility at which the patient's treatment is administered. The role of the comfort care team is to administer and monitor the comfort-care accorded to the patients. Unlike hospice care that is mostly administered in homes, comfort care is administered in an institution like a hospital that is fully equipped with medical facilities or nursing homes under the supervision of a comfort care team. Timing A patient is eligible for a hospice program if he or she has [...]

30 03, 2020

How to Avoid Hospice Care Nightmares
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How to Avoid Hospice Care Nightmares

lhg-content2020-03-30T16:56:36+00:00Categories: News|Tags: Hospice Care Nightmares, Hospice in Oxford, How to Choose Hospice Care|

If you have a loved one that will soon require end-of-life care, you might be looking into all of the options that exist to provide them with the best level of care. You also might be hearing some horror stories about hospice and the various issues that can arise within a hospice facility. This is probably making you pretty nervous about finding the right person to care for your loved one. How do you know that they're trustworthy? How do you know that they're right for the job? Avoiding hospice care nightmares can be stressful, but it isn't difficult if you know what to look out for. Luckily, there has been plenty of research done for you so that you know exactly what to seek out and what to run away from. Here is how to avoid common troubles with hospice care and find the caretaker that you really need for a hospice in Oxford. Why Do I Need to Hire Hospice Care? If you're worried about the potential hospice care nightmares, you might be starting to reconsider your decision about hiring a caretaker at all. Surely you can do this work yourself, right? Well, there are certainly some good reasons to give that job to a professional who knows how to properly care for your loved [...]

28 02, 2020

How to Talk Aging Parents About In-Home Palliative Care
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How to Talk Aging Parents About In-Home Palliative Care

lhg-content2020-08-20T11:11:25+00:00Categories: News|Tags: Palliative Care, Senior Care, Senior Health|

Every year, approximately 1.4 million people receive palliative care. Of this group, about 66 percent received care where they lived rather than at a separate facility. Are your parents dealing with chronic illnesses? Do they seem to be in denial about the severity of their condition or the amount of assistance they need? If this is the case, you might need to talk to your parents about in-home palliative care. This can be a difficult conversation, for sure. Keeping these guidelines in mind can help to make it easier. Signs Your Parents Need In-Home Palliative Care Your parents might be in denial about their condition, but you might be in denial as well. If you're not sure whether or not your parents need in-home palliative are, consider whether or not you've noticed the following warning signs: They have trouble with daily tasks, such as eating, using the bathroom, or performing basic acts of self-care Their symptoms seem to be getting worse They have to go to the hospital often and come home exhausted and drained by the experience They seem worn out and want to sleep all the time You feel worn out and are having a hard time keeping up with all of their needs This last point is especially important. Your feelings matter in [...]