For decades Port Arthur patients facing life-threatening illnesses were cared for in hospitals. In 1967 hospice was created to provide services that address the unique needs of those who are no longer seeking treatment. Today thousands of patients get help from Hospice Services in Port Arthur TX. Hospice care gives patients control over decisions, access to personal care plans and support for their family members.
Patients Maintain Their Dignity
One of the primary reasons that hospice was created was to offer a different, more dignified kind of care than hospitals do. Hospitals are designed to provide healing treatments. That means that terminally ill patients can be subjected to painful and expensive procedures that will not cure them. Few facilities are designed to care for those who have decided to forgo treatment. However, hospice services like those offered by Riceland Healthcare are designed around patients’ wishes. They can, and often do, receive care in their own homes. They can also see visitors when they want, create their own schedules and maintain personal dignity.
Care Plans Are Designed Around Patients’ Wishes
Hospice Services in Port Arthur TX also differ from most hospitals because they create uniquely personal care plans for every patient. Each is assigned a team. Professional team members include doctors, nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains and even bereavement specialists. They work together to help patients enjoy the best possible quality of life. In fact, the goal of hospice care is to help each patient spend their time the way they want. Medical personnel offer pain management options and other professionals help the terminally ill make decisions and deal with emotional and spiritual issues.
Services Extend to Entire Families
Providers help patients’ families with a range of problems. Medical personnel guide them through patients’ physical changes and prepare them for each step. Counselors make it easier for them to understand and relate to sick family members. Hospice also offers bereavement counseling that allows families to begin the healing process after death occurs.
Today many patients facing life-limiting conditions choose hospice care. Hospice facilities offer in-house or home care and provide care plans that consider patients’ all-around well being and wishes. They also provide counseling that helps family members cope with a relative’s illness and death.