AGOURA HILLS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 25, 2022 / Hospice Home Care represents an emerging niche of home-based hospice care providers in Los Angeles County, California. The service is family-oriented and aims to bring the patients and their family members into the fold regarding important end-of-life and palliative care decisions.
The sheer density of hospice care providers in the US might ensure the comfort of a terminally ill patient, but that hasn't done much regarding family members, who are suddenly thrust into the emotionally and mentally taxing role of caregiving. Hospice Home Care has expressed concern regarding a growing trend among caregivers, especially those tasked with looking after dementia patients.
"We get so many caregivers that seek our help after attempting the overwhelming task of caring for a terminally ill family member without so much as a palliative care nurse," said Sally Winthorpe, a spokesperson for HospiceHomeCare.org. "Some come to us after a week while others stick it out for months before realizing they need professional help. It is concerning but not surprising that more caregivers every day are experiencing stress and depression and being driven to the point of no return", she went on to say.
A recent study about the suicide risk in caregivers looking after people with dementia further cited two studies to prove that it was, indeed, trending upward. The 2002 study reported the attempted suicide rate among such caregivers at 5.9%. In contrast, the 2015 study reported it at 16.1%, indicating a concerning rise that cannot be a coincidence despite sample bias and other variables.
"Hospice Home Care is unnerved by these statistics," continued Mrs. Winthorpe. "We always expected a rise, but to see the numbers jump by more than 10% in 13 years is shocking. It almost scares us to think what numbers the next 13 years will reveal. We hope they fall because we know our hospice care providers have refocused our attention toward family caregivers."
Hospice Home Care, on the other hand, started as a service for patients and caregivers in the advanced ages of a life-limiting illness. The service represents a growing community of home-based end-of-life care where the patient has access to the same resources at home as at a hospice center.
The Hospice Home Care team sees palliative care as a team effort with the members comprising the hospice staff, the caregiver(s), family members, and the patient at the forefront of it all.
"Most negative emotions and illnesses are directly or indirectly related to stress, so it's not surprising that a caregiver would be driven to the brink," said Mrs. Winthorpe. "We aim to maximize their comfort and make them cope with the ongoing grief of watching their loved ones slip away."
Hospice Home Care stands by three principles: emotional support, medication, and physical comfort for the patient and caregiver. It aims to use every resource at its disposal to treat a terminally ill patient's symptoms and make the final stage of their life as peaceful as possible.
Contact Details
Company Name: Hospice Home Care
Contact Person: Sally Winthorpe
Website: https://www.hospicehomecare.org/
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE: Hospice Home Care