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Not all hospice providers are the same. In ant case, the 24 hour continuous care comes at the very end, the last 3 or so days but she gets daily care at my home plus the medicaid paid for home health aids that are not hospice.
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I know your pain having gone through this with my father. Have you exhausted all avenues of volunteer help? Hospice has specially trained volunteers (I know, I'd been one for years) who can come in to sit with your loved one can do light housework or whatever the family requests and the volunteer agrees to. Time commitments are between the family and volunteer. My experience has shown me that the volunteer and patient create a special bond and patient looks forward to a visit from someone not so connected to the family. Our volunteers have to be police screened, have their immunizations, completed the death and dying course so that you can feel comfortable having a stranger in the home. After a couple of visits that 'stranger 'moniker disappears. As a volunteer I think the biggest mistake family's make is that they wait too long to call in Hospice. Give the family a chance to experience Hospice in all its facets including a volunteer person coming in to relieve the family for awhile before the end stage symptoms appear and the caregiver at home can get a break. You'll need that person at the very end and isn't it better to be surrounded by people you trust? There are so many more 'plus-es' to getting on board earlier rather than later but you'll only know what they are if you do it. The only reason I am not doing it now is that we moved so that we could become fulltime babysitters for our grandchildren.
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Thank you for your commets-I had thought when you had hospice they brought in people to do most of the physical care so the family could concentrate on helping the sick family member. I think most hospice groups do-maybe you could find another hospice group-there are so many around these days and it must be profitable they have to be getting paid well for them to be croping up everywhere-I would check with my county social service office or the office of the ageing which we have where I live. Is your Mom in a nursing home if she is they are responsible for her daily care and meals and meds.
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I remember when Hospice included something called Continuous Care in which either a Home Health Aide or a nurse would each spend 12 hours each taking care of the hospice patient as they were clearly approaching death. I don't think this is still a service of hospice. Too bad. It means people without private means go to nursing homes for their final days.
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@Warreng, no one ever said it was an easy task; it is definately a labor of love. I don't regret one single second I spent with my dad while he was in the hospital or at home on hospice. I gave up over a yr of my life to help my parents and I would do it again. Although, I was not asked if I wanted anything of my dad's belongings and I was bitter/angry over this for a while, I realized that the most valuable things I had of my father were not material items but a lifetime of memories and moments we shared during his last few months.....these can never be taken away from me by any of my hateful family members. These moments are time I spent with my dad that my brothers failed to do....too busy living their own lives.That was probably TMI. Sorry. And yes it does suck in so many ways........it is a hard job.
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im taking care of my mother at home hospices comes and gives her a bath thay stay only one hr my father is here to help but he is in a wheelchair so im doing for him also and it sucks
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Thanks, I will be in touch with the Hospice Soc. Wkr. My mom is actually having hospice come out to the nursing fascility to do the hospice.
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It is a very difficult job as you already know. My mom and I just went through this. I can say that the hospice nurse was great but we did need more help. Many hospice facilities have volunteers that will come in and sit with the patient. That way you can take a nap or shower even. You can leave while the aide comes in to bathe and care for the patient. Well, we could anyway. speak to the social worker at the hospice company they can offer resouces also.
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