Upper Galilee Hospice - There is a hospice in the northern Galilee panhandle of Israel called the Nancy Caroline Hospice of the Upper Galilee (HUG) which was founded in 1994 by Nancy Caroline as a nonprofit organization to treat terminal cancer patients in the comfort of their own homes.
If you are considering a hospice for either yourself or a loved one, here are some questions and answers that will hopefully make your decision easier.
• Are there any special adjustments or changes that I need to make in my home before beginning hospice care?
Your hospice provider will assess what you need and recommend any equipment that might be needed, as well as will help make arrangements to obtain any of the necessary equipment. The case is often that equipment need is minimal at earlier stages but increase as the disease gets worse. Overall, the hospice will assist you in any way that it can to make home care as convenient, clean, and safe as is possible.
• How many members of one's family and friends are needed to take care of a patient at home?
There is no specific number of people that are needed. One of the initial things that a hospice team will do is to prepare an individualized care plan that will, as one of the many things, address the amount of caregiving that is needed in the specific situation. Hospice staff will visit regularly and are always accessible to answer questions and concerns and to provide support.
• Does someone have to be with the patient at all times?
In the beginning, it is not usually necessary to have someone always with the patient although one of the most common fears of patients is that they will die alone, so it is suggested later on that the patient has someone continuously there.
• How difficult is it to care for a loved one at home who is dying?
It is never easy and sometimes it can even be hard to care for a loved one who is dying at home. At the end of these long, progressive illnesses, nights are especially bad. It is due to this that Hospices have staff that are available at all times to consult with the family and make nights visits if they are neccessary. Basically, hospice staff are able to provide people to take over so that family members can get a much needed break.
• Specifically, what assistance does a hospice provide for patients at home?
Patients are cared for by a team of doctors, nurses, volunteers, and many others. Each person provides different assistance, which is based on each person's area of expertise. Additionally, medications, supplies, equipment, hospital services, and additional helpers in the home can be provided when needed.