{"id":110,"date":"2022-05-06T02:17:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-06T02:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/indianapolis-metro-north\/2022\/05\/06\/what-is-hospice-care-and-how-can-it-help-you-and-your-senior-loved-one\/"},"modified":"2022-05-06T02:17:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T02:17:00","slug":"what-is-hospice-care-and-how-can-it-help-you-and-your-senior-loved-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scaadvisorsprd.wpenginepowered.com\/indianapolis-metro-north\/2022\/05\/06\/what-is-hospice-care-and-how-can-it-help-you-and-your-senior-loved-one\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Hospice Care, and How Can It Help You and Your Senior Loved One?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There comes a point in everyone\u2019s life when their time on earth draws to a close. People, like all living things, die. The difference with us, however, is that we have ways to make that transition easier for those who are on the verge of it and for their loved ones. One of the most important ways we do that is through hospice care.<\/p>\n

Understanding Hospice Care and Its Benefits<\/h2>\n

Hospice care is a very specific kind of caregiving, part of broader palliative care, that meets the needs of the terminally ill and those who are part of their lives. The benefits of hospice care are many, and it\u2019s meant for people of all ages. The goal of this caregiving is to provide as much comfort as possible by focusing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of patients. Hospice counseling can also help patients and families understand and accept the process of dying and offer a network of support.<\/p>\n

What Is Palliative Care?<\/h2>\n

When a patient is at any stage of a serious or chronic illness, palliative care can step in to provide pain relief and symptom management. Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life while acknowledging the illness, oftentimes cancer, heart or lung conditions, or liver or kidney diseases.<\/p>\n

Patients who are receiving palliative care can undergo treatment for their illness at the same time and may even see a cure or reversal of symptoms. Unlike hospice care, palliative caregiving is intended for patients who have not been diagnosed with a terminal illness.<\/p>\n

For patients who\u2019ve received such a diagnosis, hospice care can provide immediate and meaningful benefits to patients and their families.<\/p>\n

What Is Hospice Care?<\/h2>\n

Eligibility and Scope of Hospice Care<\/h2>\n

Hospice care is a specific type of palliative care that\u2019s provided to terminally ill patients who typically have six months or less to live, although many patients live longer than that and continue to receive this specialized care up until their time of death.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s meant for patients of any age, those with end-stage chronic illnesses, and for patients suffering from progressive\u00a0degenerative diseases<\/a>\u00a0like Alzheimer\u2019s and Parkinson\u2019s. Because the physical and emotional challenges of a terminal illness can be overwhelming, hospice care is delivered by a team of compassionate and\u00a0experienced professionals<\/a>\u00a0who add to the care offered by loved ones, each member with their own specialty. This team usually includes:<\/p>\n