With hospice care at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, individuals with life-limiting conditions have the opportunity to get the most out of the time they have left. Having the necessary support while remaining at home makes a tremendous difference, as it allows for a more comfortable and dignified end-of-life journey.
But is hospice care at home an option for people who live alone?
While hospice nurses, therapists, aides and other care providers make regular visits, around-the-clock support – or continuous home care – is only arranged when there’s a medical crisis. The family is supposed to handle most day-to-day concerns, but what if no one can step in to be a full-time primary caregiver for a patient who is on their own?
This situation is quite common, and fortunately, it doesn’t mean in-home hospice care is off the table. If a loved one is terminally ill and living alone, the professional team at Suncrest Hospice of Tulsa can guide you in helping them remain safe and comfortable in their own home. But for now, read the following to get an idea of how hospice care can work.
Arranging for Support at the Start
Many people with life-limiting conditions – even those who have a prognosis of six months or less — are able to stay at home on their own for quite some time. Some assistance may be needed, but not full-time care. As such, when a loved one enters hospice, families can ensure they have the support they need by:
- Planning a rotation that has one family member at their home at all times
- Asking neighbors and friends who live nearby to fill any gaps in the schedule
- Seeing if members of their church or the community can lend a hand
Speaking with a hospice care social worker is a good idea, too. Social workers connect families with local support groups and organizations that assist with various needs, such as Meals on Wheels and Life Alert®. When you’re not sure where to turn for help in meeting your loved one’s needs, a social worker can seek out solutions.
Planning for the Future in Hospice Care
When a loved one has a life-limiting condition, you can expect their care needs to change as time goes on. And there will come a point when they need someone with them at all times – but as we mentioned, members of the hospice care team can’t be there every hour of the day. With that in mind, families have three options:
- Hire home health aides who work with hospice patients
- Look for a nursing home or inpatient hospice care facility
- Find a way to make sure a family member is always there
In our experience, the first two choices are less than ideal. Paying for aides to provide day-to-day care is extremely expensive, and not all home health aides are comfortable working with terminally ill individuals. And most people prefer to receive hospice care services in the comfort of their own home – the thought of moving elsewhere at the end of life isn’t likely to make your loved one smile.
So, that leaves it up to the family. If you haven’t already talked with siblings, aunts, cousins and other relatives who live in Tulsa, now’s the time to see if anyone can step in and offer more help. Failing that, someone might be able to take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as that allows workers to have time off to care for a loved one in need. However, the FMLA offers unpaid leave, so this may not be a viable solution.
The alternative? If there’s no way to ensure that your loved one is never alone, you’ll have no choice but to have a difficult conversation. You need to be brutally honest as you discuss their condition, their prognosis and what the future holds – and you’re going to have to make it clear that hospice care at home is no longer an option. For assistance, bring in a social worker. They’re skilled at helping families make major care decisions, and in the event your loved one is in denial about their ability to continue with in-home hospice, a social worker can help them understand why the plan of care must change.
Speak With the Suncrest Team Today
When a terminally ill loved one is living alone, hospice care at home may be an option. But sooner or later, they will need around-the-clock assistance – and your family will have to find a solution. Fortunately, the knowledgeable professionals at Suncrest Hospice of Tulsa are ready to help.
With Suncrest, you can count on high-quality, compassionate care throughout the final chapter of life. We’re dedicated to providing support, and we’re just as committed to supporting the choices of every patient we serve. Our team will do all they can to ensure that your loved one is at peace with their end-of-life decisions, and we’ll make every effort to comply with their wishes. For more information, or to discuss hospice care at home for a loved one who lives alone, contact our office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, today.
