February 13, 2007

Home Care and Hospice

Tips On Home Care From the National Association for Home Care and HospiceWhen your patients become ill or need home care, it can be a very difficult and confusing time for their family. In order to help people make the difficult decision regarding who will care for their loved ones in their final days, NAHC has compiled advice to help family members decide on the right time to consider home care and how to ensure their loved ones are being well provided for. “Signs it is Time to Consider Home Care” and “Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Care Provider” are vital for those people who must make this vital decision.

As EMS providers, we often see people in states of gradual deterioration and in need of more care than the family’s resources can provide for. It can be a very difficult and confusing time for a family. In order to help people make the difficult decision regarding who will care for their loved ones in their final days, NAHC has compiled advice to help family members decide on the right time to consider home care and how to ensure their loved ones are being well provided for. “Signs it is Time to Consider Home Care” and “Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Care Provider” are vital for those people who must make this vital decision.

We can offer information like this to our patients and their families. Compile a list of helpful weblinks to give to families of terminal patients. Contact your local hospice center and have them come in and give training on what services they provide and how EMS can best interact with them. Talk with them about your concerns with DNR patients.

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Here’s some of the information and questions available at the NAHC familycare page.

Signs it is Time to Consider Home Care:

The patient is consistently short of breath, unable to eat, sleeping excessively, and experiencing increasing pain.
The patient has started to withdraw from life and/or family and friends.
The doctor has stated that the patient’s condition is not curable and that there are no more medical options.
The patient has expressed they are ready to die but the family is not ready to let go.
The treatment the patient is receiving seems no longer to be helping or working but prolonging the inevitable.
Financial issues are becoming more challenging.
The patient is unable to do everyday chores such as dressing themselves, going to the toilet or bathing without assistance.
It is becoming harder for the caregiver to take care of the patient.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Care Provider:

Can you please share your company’s performance standards for their employees?
How long has your company been in business?
What qualifications, certifications, experience and training do you require of your workers?
Are your employees insured and bonded?
How do you supervise your workers to make sure the proper care is given?
Will the same caregiver oversee my case consistently?
Do you conduct a home visit before starting the home care service?
Do you work with my doctor in developing a plan of care?
Can you provide me some references from doctors, hospital personnel and social workers?
Has your company been involved in any lawsuits involving customer satisfaction?

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You might wonder why I push for us to be educated on the additional resources available for different patient populations in our areas. Part of it is to make us more aware of the big picture of caring for our patients. We don’t just pick them up and drop them off — often we pick the same ones up again and again.

By making ourselves aware of other avenues of treatment for the patients we have, we save EMS resources and time for other more pressing emergencies.