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What You Need To Know About Oklahoma Hospice Care

By Anna Sanders


The end of life isn't always quick and easy. It can be painful, discouraging, and sad. It's important for the dying individuals and their families to know they don't have to go through the process alone. There are caring, compassionate professionals available at all hours and willing to go wherever they are needed to assist in making this final transition easier and less painful. Oklahoma hospice care is a good example.

There are questions about palliative care that are common to most cases. One of them regards the right time to discuss it with seniors. This subject is going to be uncomfortable for some family members, but it should be discussed well in advance of the actual need. This way the plans will have already been made when the loved one reaches the final stages of life. There is enough stress at this time without adding extra issues.

Hospice will not automatically come in. The family has to request that they do so. After receiving a request, the agency can process it within two days. The service will have a representative meet with the patient and family right away. If the situation is especially urgent, the request can be expedited.

Patients will have a team working for and with them. The team usually includes at least one registered nurse, a social worker, a volunteer, a home health worker, and a chaplain. These professionals work with the individual and loved ones putting a plan in place that will fit the specific needs of the patient. The staff has a number of clients it has to divide its time between. Nurses will have at least a dozen patients. Social workers usually have a double workload.

When illness reaches its final stages there can be a lot of pain involved. The palliative assistance staff is trained to keep the patient as pain free and comfortable as possible. They work with the physicians to ensure they clearly understand the medications, therapies, and procedures necessary to achieve the desired results. The staff meets regularly with physicians to go over any changes or modifications to the original treatments.

The staff can serve patients wherever they are. It is not necessary to be a patient in a hospital to receive the care. Workers are called to nursing facilities and other long term homes to assist patients living there. There are agreements in place between the service and the facilities allowing workers to come and go freely while administering to patients.

For patients who need more attention than their families can provide for them in their homes there is always the option of freestanding hospice houses and inpatient residential centers. Families must be aware however that these facilities are not covered by Medicare or Medicaid. It's a good idea to make plans early to obtain the type of insurance that will cover this circumstance.

The end of life is not always easy. It can be messy, painful, and prolonged. Families should take advantage of all the resources available to them to make the process more bearable.




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