Page 23 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine 2020 Spring - Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

THE RIGHT LEVEL OF CARE

AT THE RIGHT TIME : AVOIDING

RE-HOSPITALIZATION
by Patricia L. Garansuay, MSN, RN

s I enter the darkened “the look” at her
room, I see a frail, elderly daughter. “No,
Awoman on oxygen sitting I’m talking about
upright in a hospital bed. Across a higher level of
the room is a sofa-bed with a care, designed to
younger woman sitting, disheveled keep Mom out of
and visibly worn. I introduce the hospital and
myself and quietly pull up a chair. in the comfort of
“Thank you for coming … the her home.” I then
doctor said we should talk to you,” pull out a patient
says the daughter. Her mother information packet
joins the conversation. “Yes, can and begin to explain Services are free to Medicare A
I go home now? I am so tired of my role: a hospice educator. beneficiaries, covering all care,
coming to the hospital! All they do equipment, supplies and necessary
is poke me with needles and wake The dreaded “H” word has medications.
me up at all hours of the night.” invoked fear for as long as it has
The daughter informs me she has existed, unfairly mislabeled as a Common hospice diagnoses
recently moved in to help assist form of giving up hope. In truth, include cancer, heart disease, lung
her mother who struggles with hospice redefines hope by helping disease, dementia, stroke, kidney
lung and heart disease. I ask Mom, establish new goals and honoring disease, liver disease, HIV-AIDS,
“What are your goals? What is the those wishes. For patients dealing ALS, and Parkinson’s Disease.
most important thing to you at this with conditions for which curative Other indicators that may point to
stage of your life?” Tearfully, she attempts are either impossible or a need for hospice consideration
exclaims, “I just want to be home. not the BEST choice, time is truly are functional decline, weight
I miss my cats, and I’m tired of a most valuable commodity. Most loss, frequent falls, and multiple
being in the hospital so much.” patients do not wish to spend that hospitalizations.
time in the hospital.
I hear this request so many times If you believe you or a loved one
during these types of consultations. Hospice care neither prolongs may benefit from hospice care
“What if I told you there is a nor hastens the inevitability of and would like more information,
program that sends nurses out to one’s passing. With scheduled please call (806) 335-0885.
your home, several times a week, visits and on-call availability Learning the truth about hospice
to make sure your symptoms 24-hours a day, nurses monitor may very well lead you or your
are well-managed, to help avoid and manage symptoms that loved one to a decision for the right
coming back here?” The daughter could, otherwise, warrant another level of care at the right time and
pipes in: “We’ve had home health trip to the hospital. Hospice is the choice to remain in the comfort
before … she hates the therapy and holistic care, treating the physical, of home.
won’t participate like they want social, emotional, and spiritual
her to.” I could feel the tension needs of the patient through use
rise in the room as Mom shoots of a multi-disciplinary team.

Amarillo Senior Link 23