What to Expect with Home Hospice

Did you know that 80% of patients with a life limiting disease say they do not want to be hospitalized or put in intensive care when they are dying. With this being said, it is surprising to learn that only 25% of Americans die in their home. This seems to be because the majority of us are not aware that hospice can provide level of care needed in the home. Hospice care helps bring peace of mind to families who want to honor their loved one’s wish to remain at home.

Hospice provides emotional, medical and even spiritual care wherever patients consider their home – regardless of whether it is their home, a nursing home or an assisted living facility. We feel strongly the loved ones should consider their family's end-of-life wishes as they navigate and compare home hospice versus in-patient hospice.

A patient can be referred to a Community Nursing Services by a doctor, but ultimately you and your loved one get to choose which agency you want to go with. This is a fast moving process because time is truly of the essence. We then arrange for an intake nurse or social worker to meet with your family as soon as possible. This meeting can take place anywhere the family feels most comfortable on convient.

At this gathering, our team goes over all the ins and outs of hospice and can admit the patient right away. Our team will evaluate patient and family needs and build a personalized plan of care, illuminating what the family will receive from hospice home care. This includes not only nursing, social work and aide visits, but also includes any needed medical supplies including beds, wheelchairs, and additional supplies which will be delivered to the patient's home. All medical prescriptions that will help with any comfort or pain management will also be covered in your CNS Hospice care.

Over the first couple of days, the patient and family will get visits from our nurses, aides, a social worker, and chaplain. Our team members will coordinate a regular schedule for nursing visits, aides to help with personal care and emotional or spiritual support visits that coincide with your personalized plan of care.

At the point when a patient starts to indicate their last days are close, CNS increases the number of home visits to meet what is needed by the patient and their families. As the patient decreases, CNS provides nonstop hospice care in the patient's home. The CNS team will remain with the patient and family, giving any needed medical or therapeutic support. When a patient passes, our team stays to help with with any final details or paperwork and provides any bereavement support needed by the family.

Community Nursing Services has 10 locations across Utah. We are available 24 hours per day, 365 days a year to admit patients, give care, and answer any questions you may have. A devoted group of on-call staff is accessible to help families and patients in the evenings and on weekends should a pressing need emerge.

If you have still have any questions on what to expect from our hospice home care team or need to begin the hospice or home health admission process, please call 1(800)286-8442 to speak one of our dedicated CNS Intake Nurses.