WHAT IS HOME HOSPICE CARE?​

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Enhancing the quality standards for end of life care, hospice is a compassionate approach to expert medical care and supportive services for patients with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones. Hospice care provides pain and symptom control, emotional and spiritual support, while fostering the highest quality of life possible for patients and their families. The focus of this remarkable concept of care is to enable patients to be pain-free, so that they may live each day as fully and comfortably as possible. The hospice care team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to meet the needs and wishes of each patient and their family. 

Palliative care is a medical specialty focusing on enhancing the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses and their loved ones. It focuses on effective communication, coordination of care, and relief from pain, stress and other debilitating symptoms. Palliative care customizes treatment to fit each patient’s needs, because there are a variety of illnesses and patients respond differently to treatment options. This type of care can be given at any time during a patient’s illness, because it is not dependent on the prognosis. 

Hospice always provides palliative care, although palliative care is not limited to hospice care. Hospice uses palliative care to help eliminate the pain and suffering associated with a terminal illness. Hospice and palliative care may assist in prolonging the lives of patients with a terminal illness or disease. In a 2007 study, the mean survival was 29 days longer for hospice patients than for non-hospice patients.
 

The Altruist Hospice team focuses on enhancing the quality of life for patients with a life-limiting illness and their loved ones by developing a personalized care plan that meets each patient’s needs and wishes. We provide compassionate care for patients with a wide range of life-limiting illnesses, including but not limited to: Cancer, Heart disease, Stroke and Coma, Lung disease, Kidney disease, Liver disease, Multiple sclerosis, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia, Parkinson’s and AIDS. 

Hospice is a service, or philosophy of care, that is provided in the place the patient calls home. In addition to a private residence, this includes nursing homes and residential facilities. Hospice patients may also receive services at a contracted inpatient facility or hospital; and short-term inpatient care may be provided to help manage pain and control symptoms when needed. Receiving comprehensive care in the environment in which they feel most comfortable will ensure the patient’s dignity is well-preserved. The hospice care team is available 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year, and will make regular scheduled visits to assess the patient and provide quality care for the patient and their loved ones. 

In addition to caring for the patient, Altruist Hospice strives to provide excellent caregiver support. When the patient’s primary caregiver needs respite time as a relief from their responsibilities, the patient can go into short-term inpatient care. Emotional and spiritual support, as well as bereavement care and counseling are offered for up to 13 months to surviving family and friends. 

Regular Hospice Services:

• Manage the patients pain and symptoms

• Provide needed medications, medical supplies, and medical equipment

• Maintain patient's comfort, including regular assessments and support for their loved ones

• Assist patients with personal care and activities of daily living

• Instruct families on how to properly care for patients

• Deliver special services such as speech and physical therapy when needed

• Spiritual advisers or chaplains to help patients and families with questions or concerns at the end of life

• Volunteers to provide companionship and community resources to support patients and their families

• Bereavement services and counseling to help families deal with grief, which continues for up to 13 months

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Altruist provides quality hospice care in rural and metropolitan areas in North & East Texas, including the following counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Rockwall, Wise, Denton, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Van Zandt, Henderson, Navarro, Ellis, Johnson, Hood, Parker and more. If you think that hospice care might be right for you or your loved one, please contact one of our office locations near you so that we can setup an appointment to discuss our services and answer any questions you may have.