It is not very easy to tell a person they have a few months to live. It is in this last phase of life that one will need social, physical, emotional, and spiritual care. When a doctor determines that no treatment can save a person’s life and can survive for six months or so, the family can opt for hospice care.
There are four levels of hospice care – routine home care, continuous home care, general inpatient care, and respite care. The level of care a person will need depends on multiple factors. In this article, we will discuss continuous home care.
Definition
Continuous home care is provided at the time of a crisis when a higher level of attention is required. The patient may need care for at least eight hours a day to get palliation or management of acute medical symptoms. In this care regimen, 50% of care is provided by a nurse. This type of care is provided in-home or at a long-term-care facility. It is not an application for the patients in an inpatient hospice unit or a hospital.
Since hospice care is provided by a team of experts in different areas such as a nurse, doctor, clergy, and a social worker, the team provides physical, mental, social, and emotional support. This type of high-quality care cannot be provided by a normal caretaker. This is why hospice care is special for terminally ill patients. It is a round-the-clock level of care.
The aim of continuous home care is to give honor to the patient’s thoughts to lead the last phase of their life at home. According to experts, this type of program is designed because of a belief in two principles of end-of-life care. These two principles are –
- No one should die alone
- No one should die in pain
Types of Symptom to Tell That The Patient Needs Continuous Care
- Unrelieved pain or persistent pain
- May be suffering from bleeding
- Shortness of breath or acute respiratory distress
- Feeling restless, suffer from vomiting or nausea
- Terminal restlessness or agitation
Consult your family doctor to determine whether your loved one needs continuous care or routine home care.
