Alongside our home care services in San Leandro, California, Thrive Home Careis also a licensed provider of hospice care. It’s a lifeline for many people seeking to maintain their quality of life in the face of a terminal illness.
And yet, misconceptions abound about what it means and what it really does for those who avail of it. As your partner in-home care assistance in California, we would like to address some of these mistaken notions to encourage you to seriously consider hospice care for yourself or a loved one.
- It’s for cancer patients.
It’s true that many patients with cancer avail of hospice care. Medicare reported in 2016 that 30.1% of those who received aid for hospice had cancer. But it’s also for virtually all kinds of life-threatening, end-stage conditions like Alzheimer’s and kidney disease.
- It prevents you from seeing your physician.
In reality, hospice care teams encourage trusted physicians to participate in implementing hospice care plans. You get caregivers and healthcare professionals working together to manage your symptoms, minimize pain, and expand your independence.
- When the six months are up, you’re out.
This may come from the fact that hospice care recommendations involve a prognosis of six months. But in the fortunate cases where seniors live longer than their prognosis, hospice care can continue.
- It’s about giving up.
Hardly. Hospice care is a declaration that you can still go on even in the face of a life-threatening illness. It gives you more time to settle matters, find satisfaction in one’s life, and continue enjoying life with friends and family.
You or your loved one deserve to have options in a difficult situation like a terminal illness. Reach out to arrange a care plan today.