How Do You Know When It’s Time For Hospice Care?

No one wants to consider the idea that an ill loved one won’t recover from their sickness. This causes many families to delay conversations about hospice programs in Philadelphia and the end-of-life care that their loved one truly needs. The decision to move someone you love and care about to hospice care is never an easy one—but how will you know when it’s necessary?

First, you should know that hospice care isn’t just an option reserved for the last few days or weeks of life. Hospice care includes specialized nursing and pain mitigation programs that can significantly improve your loved one’s quality of life. Hospice care doesn’t only provide benefits for your loved one—it also gives you time to address the emotions and grief that you’re feeling, and provides the emotional and spiritual guidance you need throughout end-of-life care.

If your loved one is experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s time to start considering a Philadelphia hospice program:

• A decline in his or her ability to perform simple daily tasks, including getting dressed, bathing, taking any necessary medication, using the bathroom or preparing food.
• Frequent trips to the emergency room due to infections, falls or a decline in cognitive functions.
• A decrease in mental abilities that causes your loved one to put him or herself in dangerous situations (e.g., forgetting that the stove is on).
• An increase in infections or illnesses.
• Sudden unexplained weight loss.

If you think that your loved one may need hospice care, the best thing that you can do is speak with your loved one’s doctor. If you and the doctor decide that hospice is the right choice and your loved one later recovers, he or she can leave hospice and elect to pursue curative care. If your loved one is released from hospice and his or her condition deteriorates, you may choose to reinstate hospice care.

McCafferty Funeral Home is here for you and your family—24 hours a day and 7 days a week. If you’d like to learn more about hospice care and how it can help your loved one, contact us at 215-531-5014.