Hospice Resources for Your Patients & Their Families

Hospice care offers benefits for individuals with life-limiting conditions and their loved ones. However, it’s often misunderstood and underused. Healthcare providers can help to change this, empowering patients and families with valuable information and hospice resources to move forward with grace and dignity.

Become the advocate they need. WesleyLife examines why it’s important to discuss hospice care proactively. Explore tools to support patients and their families throughout the process.

The Pressing Need for Hospice Education

Many patients and families lack information on hospice care. Whether driven by the hope that they would never need it or the simple fact that they haven’t experienced it, nearly one-third (32%) of respondents over 50 say they know very little about hospice care.

An analysis of Reddit posts and comments in r/hospice and r/palliative subreddits points to another potential cause, revealing that gaps in communication between patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers occur too often. However, even a brief explanation can make a substantial impact. In fact, 75% of people who didn’t understand hospice when first asked said they would be interested in receiving this care after they learned more about it.

Misconceptions About Hospice

Those who possess some understanding of hospice often draw from biased stereotypes. To achieve the full benefits of this care, families must let the misconceptions about hospice fall away, especially that:

• Hospice is reserved for a person’s final days.
• Hospice is just for people with cancer or other diseases.
• Hospice is always delivered in a clinical setting.
• Starting hospice is akin to giving up.
• Hospice care is cost-prohibitive.

Providers are presented with prime opportunities to correct misinformation and fill in the gaps with accurate hospice resources. Start by debunking the myths so patients and their families can begin to understand the full potential of hospice care.

Assessing Understanding and Initiating the Hospice Conversation

Four Steps of a Valuable Hospice Conversation

No matter how many times providers navigate hospice with families, it can be a stressful experience. Taking the time to build a connection can make a difference. Add these items to your checklist if they aren’t already part of your process:

1. Assess the family’s understanding of hospice and invite them to ask questions.
2. Highlight the benefits of exploring hospice early, positively framing it as a way for someone to take control of their circumstances.
3. Provide educational hospice resources they can take with them or access from home.
4. Explain the value of the guidance and care coordination families receive throughout hospice to assist with end-of-life planning and care.

Informative Hospice Resources

It’s easier than ever to answer hospice questions — from “What is hospice care?” to “How do family caregivers provide hospice support?” — as they emerge. The Complete Guide to Hospice offers comprehensive information on at-home hospice care, eligibility requirements, and discussions on end-of-life care with a loved one. Draw from an entire repository of hospice resources to share with families navigating end-of-life care.

Basic Hospice Resources

Help families understand hospice care when their circumstances make it difficult to absorb the information in the moment. WesleyLife offers printable, easy-to-share articles to take home and come back to when they’re ready, away from the emotional weight of clinical settings.

• What Is Hospice Care at Home? explores the at-home hospice care services designed to comfort individuals with life-limiting illnesses. Quickly clarify the differences between hospice, palliative care, and home healthcare.
• Hospice vs. Palliative Care distinguishes between palliative care to assist older adults with serious illnesses and hospice care to comfort individuals with a life-limiting diagnosis.
• Hospice at Home: Is It the Right Option for Your Family? outlines how hospice teams collaborate to provide pain management, emotional support, and practical assistance. Help families determine whether at-home hospice is appropriate for a loved one.
• Hospice at Home: What to Expect details the daily realities, including regular health visits and pain management techniques, of at-home hospice care. Give families insights into how these services support emotional and physical well-being.
• Who Pays for Hospice Care? Explains how Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and veterans benefits may help with the costs of hospice care. Offer financial peace of mind so caregivers can focus on spending meaningful time with their loved one.

Looking for additional resources? Visit the WesleyLife blog for helpful articles and stories from real hospice clients, and be sure to check out the Hospice Foundation of America and Hospice & Palliative Care Association of Iowa for more hospice insights.

Family Hospice Caregiver Resources

Hospice is designed to support families just as much as those receiving care. These services often provide valuable relief to exhausted caregivers, extending well past an individual’s passing through bereavement counseling and grief support.

• The Complete Guide for Caregivers from WesleyLife empowers caregivers with practical strategies, legal considerations, and tips to protect their well-being throughout hospice care. Help families answer the needs of their loved ones and manage the demands of caregiving by sharing hospice resources made specifically for them.
• The Role of Family Caregivers in Hospice at Home highlights how at-home hospice team members supplement family caregivers with medical, emotional, and practical assistance so families can focus on making memories together.
• How to Arrange Hospice at Home outlines the steps to determine eligibility and initiate hospice care for a family member, including tips to choose a provider to ensure optimal comfort and quality of life.
• Knowing When to Call Hospice: 3 Considerations for Caregivers helps families proactively seek hospice support by exploring key indicators and comparing hospice and palliative care.
• Bereavement Services Set Hospice Care Apart explains available bereavement services for families, including regular check-ins and support groups that help loved ones navigate their emotions.

For more caregiver articles, visit the WesleyLife blog.

Partner with WesleyLife

WesleyLife is committed to supporting every stage of aging. From navigating hospice care with patients and their families to giving those who served the best possible end-of-life care as a Level 5 partner of We Honor Veterans, we empower each person to maintain dignity and control.

If you have patients in need of hospice care, WesleyLife can help. Our seamless referral process eases the transition for providers and patients alike with hospice services that start within just 48 hours.

Ready to get started? Learn more or refer a patient now to ensure timely and thoughtful hospice care.