Unfortunately, sometimes you or your loved ones suffer from a terminal illness. Treatments may not be as effective anymore, which may lead your doctor to recommend hospice care. Hospice care is typically referred to as end-of-life care. Hospice care is meant to let the patient focus on the people and activities in their life that are important to them. Hospice care focuses on the quality of life of a terminal patient instead of pushing for treatments that aren’t working. Many patients opt for at-home hospice care with visiting nurses and home health aides. Visiting Nurse Service is one of the home care agencies Long Island NY that provides at-home hospice care. Our team helps terminally-ill patients with daily tasks. Continue reading below for more information on at-home hospice care.

What does at-home hospice entail?

An at-home hospice aide typically helps the patient with daily activities that are difficult for them due to symptoms of their terminal illness. The aide may assist them with the following activities:

• Showering
• Shaving
• Walking
• Using the bathroom
• Getting dressed
• Washing hair 
• Brushing their teeth/hair
• Light housekeeping (cleaning, laundry, dusting, etc.)

At-home hospice care makes these daily activities much easier and relieves the stress associated with getting everything done. Many home care agencies Long Island NY offer at-home hospice care. If you are interested, check out Visiting Nurse Service. 

Is at home hospice care covered?

Home health aides are covered through the Medicare Hospice Benefit. However, there must be documentation stating that an aide is necessary for the patient for it to be covered. Typically, at-home hospice care is covered if the patient cannot take care of themselves and needs to be dependent on the aide for daily activities like washing, getting dressed, eating, cleaning, etc. If you need at-home hospice care, contact Visiting Nurse Service’s home care agencies Long Island NY, for more information.Terminal illness can be a difficult time for the patient and family. At-home hospice care eases some of the stress off of the patient and family by helping the patient from the comfort of their own home. Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice helps patients develop a plan best suited to their needs and provide assistance in their daily life. To learn more, contact our home care agencies Long Island NY, today!