Navigating End-of-Life Care: Home Care and Hospice Together

Understanding the Importance of End-of-Life Care

If you’re familiar with hospice, you know that providers are God-sends during an emotional and stressful time – providing pain management as well as compassionate support and comfort to patients and their families. 

“Navigating end-of-life situations is never easy, but families don’t have to do it alone, said Sierra Goetz, co-founder and operations director at HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “At HCAN, we work closely with with hospice professionals to ensure all of the patient’s medical and non-medical needs are met, so they can spend quality time with friends and family members.”

How Home Care and Hospice Work Together

Home care and hospice work collaboratively to ensure that patients receive comprehensive support tailored to their unique needs. Hospice professionals provide essential medical and emotional support during a patient’s end-of-life journey, but their visits are typically intermittent. This leaves family caregivers to manage daily tasks and ongoing support at home. Home Care services complements hospice care by providing trained caregivers who assist with everyday activities, offer emotional support, and provide respite for family members and friends. This partnership between home care and hospice allows hospice teams to focus on their specialized care while ensuring that patients receive consistent, holistic support in the comfort of their own homes.

Key Services Offered by Hospice

• Pain and symptom management
• Medical equipment – including hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers and oxygen equipment
• Coordination of care
• Intermittent visits – typically not around-the-clock
• Emotional and spiritual support that’s focused on comfort and dignity

 Key Services Offered by Home Care

• Help with bathing, dressing, toileting and grooming
• Meal preparation
• Light housekeeping and laundry
• Medication reminders and safety monitoring
• Companionship and emotional support
• Respite care for family caregivers

Benefits of Integrating Home Care with Hospice

“When home care is coupled with hospice, patients are able to remain in familiar surroundings with a trusted team of professionals,” Goetz said. “Whether it’s for a few hours a week or 24/7, our compassionate care teams develop comprehensive care plans designed to meet every patient’s unique needs. Our caregivers are are trained in hospice support and committed to making this difficult time as peaceful as possible.”

How to Access Home Care and Hospice Services

For more information about HCAN services, visit hcan.com or call your local HCAN-supported office.