Knowing that the end of life is near for your elderly loved one is always a tough time in a family’s life. Hospice care can provide the support and comfort needed during this emotional period, helping families prepare for saying goodbye. No matter how wonderful a life that person lived or how old they are, it’s never easy to face this chapter.

Many elderly individuals nearing the end of their lives wish to spend their final days in the comfort of their homes. They prefer to avoid the sterile surroundings of a hospital or nursing home, choosing instead to be in the home they love, surrounded by people, pets, and cherished belongings that bring them peace and comfort.

Hospice Care Benefits for Your Loved One

The hospice care team will work with your loved one, your family, his doctors, and many other services to help ensure that your loved one’s comfort is everyone’s top priority.

Some benefits of working with a hospice care team include:

• A hospice care team has connections to services and organizations that you might not. Their trained experience makes them wonderful at providing suggestions for alternate care solutions that can’t often be utilized in the hospital. They can assist with finding holistic types of care, from music therapy to faith-based care.
• Hospice care providers offer emotional support for your loved one and your family. They understand what you are going through and can help you and your loved one navigate through all of the emotions that can occur as the end of life gets closer.
• Hospice care providers can assist with medication management and treatment of health conditions to ensure your loved one is comfortable.
• Hospice care providers can provide personal care for your loved one. They can help with daily sponge baths, grooming like hair combing, shaving, and tooth brushing if that is desired. They can apply lotion to dry skin and lip balm to dry lips as needed.
• Hospice care providers can help families understand the next steps. Oftentimes, a hospice care provider is one of the first people to recognize that the end-of-life process is quickly approaching and will alert family members to those final chances to connect with their loved ones while they are still here.
• Hospice care can also provide grief care or lead families to grief support services once the family member has passed away.

Five Steps to Prepare for Hospice Care at Home

If you’ve decided to use hospice care and have your loved one receive his hospice care in his home or yours, here are five steps you can take to prepare the space for him.

1. Determine where he’ll spend most of his time. If possible, make it a room that has natural light and can get fresh air from an open window (weather permitting).
2. Rent or buy a hospital bed. A hospital bed will help you and your hospice care team get him in and out of bed, as well as provide a safe and comfortable sleeping space.
3. Surround him with comfort objects. If he has a pet, make sure the pet can get up to his bed for snuggles if desired. Keep his favorite pillows, blankets, and other comfort items nearby.
4. Empty the room of non-needed items. Clutter can cause stress and make enjoying the room more difficult.
5. Provide places for visitors to sit and visit comfortably.

If you or an aging loved one is considering Hospice Care in Del Mar, CA, please contact the caring staff at A Passion for Care today. Call (858) 798-5005

A Passion for Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Bernardo, Encinitas, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe, Point Loma, and surrounding areas.

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Pat Melzer

Owner at A Passion for Care

Like many people in the senior care business, founder Pat Melzer was motivated by personal experience to start an in-home senior service business in 2010. After watching chronic conditions, dementia, and surgeries take over the life of her once very intelligent and lively mother-in-law, Pat saw the enormity of the need for better in-home care. Drawing on her 23 years of experience in the computer industry as a software product manager, engineering manager and computer programmer, she decided to develop best practices to build an organization that provides truly excellent, personalized care. Throughout the company’s history, Pat has been personally and professionally committed to ensuring your loved one receives the quality care they deserve. With often heroic efforts by the staff and dedicated caregivers, the vision has become a reality to be very proud of.

Making the transition to a completely new industry brought the opportunity to learn and grow, which continues still today. Pat studied Gerontology in San Diego State University’s certificate program and became licensed as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), a Home Health Aide (HHA), and completed the California Certification Program for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCCFE) as a Certified Administrator. She presented workshops at Aging in America Conference four years in a row and served as Chair of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council 2019-2020 and was the education board member for several years. More recently, Pat became a Certified Senior Advisor and was a San Diego Business Journal “50 over 50 2022 Women of Influence Honoree”.

Pat and her husband Roland have lived outside San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley for over three decades. She has two children who are grown professionals and three grandchildren. Pat enjoys traveling to, and visits from, family and friends throughout the year. While at home in San Pasqual Valley, she and Roland enjoy peaceful views and exploring the surrounding valleys.

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