When is it Time for Hospice Care? Many Say They Wish They’d Called Sooner
As the caretaker for a loved one with a terminal disease, it’s often difficult to make the decision of when to arrange for Hospice Care. Many wait until the final days and then realize the care is such a great help, it could have helped them have less stress, more comfort, and more quality in the remaining time together.
We recommend that as soon as your healthcare provider determines your loved one may have 6 months or less to live, you call Hospice. We hear often from our families that the only regret they have with their Hospice Care is that they didn’t call sooner.
“My only wish is that we had called in hospice sooner so that I could have spent more peaceful moments with her. I know now that as soon as you find out your life is limited, you should call hospice. Call even if you think you don’t need it yet because they can provide other types of care that will improve your quality of life in those last months, weeks, or days. I’m so very grateful to those doctors, nurses, and staff who took care of Sandra and also cared for my whole family,” said Jim Tweed, whose wife, Sandra passed away peacefully while in Hospice Care.
Calling Four Seasons will allow you to have a partner in creating a personalized care plan for your loved one so that your valuable time together is less stressful and more focused on quality moments.
“Don’t wait until your loved one is almost gone before enlisting the help of hospice…When people use the term ‘hospice,’ they often believe it is only meant for those who are truly in their last days, and so they wait until the last possible minute to enlist their services. But when enlisted earlier, you often actually end up able to spend more quality time with your loved one,” said Julia Hunt a volunteer for Four Seasons.
At Four Seasons, we not only care for your loved one, we care about your wellbeing, your stress level, and your mental health as well. If we can provide help in the form of Respite Care, Home Care, Medical Social Worker Services, Spiritual Counseling, or Grief Counseling, please let us know. Call us toll-free at 866.466.9734 or REQUEST CARE ONLINE.
For over 42 years, Four Seasons has been providing serious illness care to Western North Carolina. As an award-winning, nationally recognized non-profit organization, Four Seasons is known for fast response times, compassionate care, and for making our patients a priority over all else. You have a choice in who provides Hospice Care for your loved one. Ask for Four Seasons by name.