Home Preparations for Hospice Care

a nurse taking care of a seniorSome of the life-limiting illnesses that may prompt one to get hospice care for their loved one include cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and Alzheimer’s disease. Each disease has its caregiving plan that depends on the stage of illness. You can work with hospice care volunteers, social workers, and nurses in Indiana to deliver caregiving to your loved one in the comfort of your home. However, you need to make some plans for your home to facilitate easy caregiving at home. These plans include:

Organizing the Bedroom

A majority of hospice care patients have mobility problems, and it is better to replace the ordinary bed with a special hospital bed as the mattress is different. When choosing a location for the bed in the bedroom, consider that other medical equipment should be close to the bed. Should the space in your bedroom be limited, you can move to a bigger room for better delivery of caregiving services.

Eliminating Potential Hazards

Safety is the greatest consideration when offering caregiving services. Movement around the home should be with ease. Therefore, eliminate any obstacles and hazards that could limit movement. Installing extra lamps and lighting accessories will help family members see their way about the home easily.

Creating a Folder for the Care Items

Different personnel will be coming in to check on your loved one. Therefore, consider organizing a folder to hold all the necessary items in the caregiving process. That will make it easy for healthcare professionals to access medical records, medication, and contacts.

Arranging for Comfort Items

Although the main goal of providing hospice care is to create an ideal space for caregiving, you should not compromise on the comfort of the space. Bring your loved one’s favorite book along, and put a television in the room for entertainment.

One of the main goals of hospice care is to ensure that the patient is comfortable. The members of the caregiving team from the healthcare professionals to hospice care volunteers meet different needs for relief from the illness.