Seven Benefits Hospice and Palliative Care provide during the COVID-19 Outbreak
At a time when we are all trying to distance ourselves from one another, it may seem counter intuitive to invite extra people into your home by way of a hospice or palliative care team. Not so. Hospice and palliative care clinicians maintain preparedness for a wide array of infectious diseases, including new emerging diseases as well as regular occurrences like the flu.
Hospice and palliative care clinicians are specifically trained to provide needed care while keeping patients safe.
Our team members are well-versed in the prevention of exposure through current state and CDC guidelines, as well as the fact that and they are trained to work under conditions requiring extreme mindfulness of preventing infectious disease transmission. Team members are required to self-check before each day’s work and are instructed to stay at home if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
Don’t let fear prevent you from getting the help you need for yourself or a loved one.
The benefits of care and the expertise of our clinicians are exactly why you shouldn’t wait to call, especially now.
Here are some reasons for contacting us now, if you think care is needed:
Hospice and palliative care are provided at home, meaning less exposure to large groups of people. One of the underlying principles of hospice care is that it helps prevent admittance/re-admittance to the hospital by keeping symptoms and pain managed at home. This is especially important during this time.
Clinical team members are only a phone call away, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. While we do not provide 24/7 care in the home, you can always call a clinical team member who can help address your concerns or issues, which will help you and your loved one remain at home. If needed, a member of our clinical team will come to your home any time of day or night, weekdays, weekends and holidays.
Hospice and palliative care workers are very adept at managing care during times of extreme emergency. During hurricanes, blizzards, and other natural disasters, hospice and palliative care workers get the job done. Through emergency preparedness plans and regular meetings, our team is always evaluating current conditions and resources to ensure continuity of care.
Emotional care is provided by the care team on a regular basis. This is a great support to patients and family members who have now been told to socially distance themselves, or, for those 65 and older with pre-existing health conditions, to isolate themselves totally. This type of separation can be especially hard on the elderly, not to mention other stressors that exists during this time, including financial stress. Our social workers offer a listening ear and kind heart.
Chaplains provide much-needed spiritual care. As many churches are asking parishioners to stay at home and join services online if possible, care team chaplains are there to address spiritual concerns and provide spiritual readings and prayer for patients and families. Our chaplains never try to change your religious or spiritual beliefs. They act as an extra layer of spiritual support and guidance to meet your needs.
Pain and symptoms can be managed at home while care teams remain in contact with your doctor(s). As the demands on healthcare professionals increase and medical offices may start scaling back appointments in order to keep patients safe, palliative care patients currently undergoing treatment for pain and symptoms can receive care at home. Palliative care nurse practitioners continue to coordinate care with patients’ regular doctors and alert doctors of any changes of condition that are of concern.
Team members can help with advance care plans. Those in hospice and palliative care are some of those considered most vulnerable should they contract COVID-19. Having an advance care plan in place ensures that your wishes are honored. Advance care plans are a good thing for everyone to have in place, whether receiving hospice or palliative care or not.
As we all move through this time of COVID-19, it is important to keep on top of information. Visit our page of frequently asked questions and visit the CDC’s website for updates and information.
