Quality of Life Matters: Top 5 Considerations When Seeking Hospice or Palliative Care for a Loved One
When someone you love needs support, it’s essential to find care that nurtures their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. But when faced with a diagnosis, it can be hard to know which aspects of care most contribute to improving your loved one’s quality of life.
When seeking quality care for your loved one, look for these key aspects of care:
- Communication and Care Coordination
- Comfort and Pain Management
- Emotional and Spiritual Support
- Personalized, Holistic Care
- Support for Families and Caregivers
Croí Health is committed to providing patients with thorough care and offering family support through thoughtful, high-level guidance along the way.
Important Aspects of Hospice and Palliative Care
1. Communication and Care Coordination
When dealing with a chronic or long-term illness, communication between doctors, nurses, family members, and palliative care staff is essential for providing high-quality care.
Care for patients with chronic, serious, or long-term illnesses calls for a collaborative approach between patients, healthcare providers, palliative care teams, and families. To work together most effectively, these collaborators need coordination and consistent communication. Palliative care teams help coordinate care, communicate with patients’ medical providers, and keep family members updated.
At Croí Health, our teams provide high-quality patient care, working with patients, families, and healthcare providers to maintain goals of in-home care, advanced care planning, and symptom management. We offer the full continuum of care to ensure patients receive the right services at the right time without the need to switch agencies.
2. Comfort and Pain Management
Pain management is an important part of a comprehensive care strategy. But pain relief goes beyond the physical symptoms of pain–patients should experience freedom from distressing symptoms affecting their mind and spirit.
Our Croí Health team works collaboratively with patients and families to ease pain, reduce anxiety, and foster a sense of peace and control throughout the care journey. By creating a calm, supportive environment and tailoring care to each individual’s values and goals, we make sure that every aspect of a person’s experience is cared for.
3. Emotional and Spiritual Support
A physical illness can bring up emotions, concerns, and big questions. When looking for care, it’s important to find teams that support your loved one’s quality of life across all dimensions—physical, emotional, and spiritual. High-quality care teams provide patients and caregivers alike with comfort, solace, and compassionate understanding.
At Croí Health, we support patients and caregivers through support groups, spiritual guidance, and a vibrant community. Our spiritual care team welcomes all faiths and beliefs, encouraging our patients and their families to practice their faith in their own way.
4. Personalized, Holistic Care
No two patients are the same, and high-quality care teams build care plans around each patient’s unique needs. With their expert clinical judgment and compassionate approach, they ensure that every aspect of care is effective and aligned with the patient’s goals and preferences.
Croí Health’s skilled nursing team works with families to develop personalized care plans. In addition to building a care plan, our nurses:
- manage care plans
- assess patient conditions and needs
- provide skilled care
- educate patients, families, and other caregivers
Collaboration is at the heart of our work, and Croí Health nurses share decision-making with families, healthcare providers, and caregivers to deliver the highest quality of care in a way that honors your loved one’s unique journey.
Patients facing the end of life may seek an alternative to receiving hospice care in a private home. Our 14-bed Pat Roche Hospice Home offers a dignified option for these patients and families with around-the-clock care, private rooms, and a number of welcoming common spaces. Families are able to visit during the day and depart for the evening knowing their loved one is being safely cared for with all the comforts of home.
5. Supporting Families and Caregivers
Patients, families, and caregivers all need support as they navigate a chronic or severe illness. At Croí Health, our support groups on the South Shore provide education, information, and peer support throughout their journey.
We’ve created groups for different types of illnesses and individuals. Some of our support group offerings include:
- Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers
- Arthritis Exercise
- Bereavement groups
- Diabetes Support
- Brain Aneurysm Support
- Parkinson’s Support
Through these groups, patients, families, and caregivers can connect with others walking similar paths and find community, solace, and support.
Supporting Both the Patient and the Family
Receiving a difficult diagnosis is challenging for any family. Finding supportive, high-quality care partners who provide personalized care for your loved one can lighten the burden, allowing you to spend time with the person you love. Our team at Croí Health understands that a diagnosis affects all members of a family, and we’re here to support you as you navigate this journey.
Reach out to find out more about how Croí Health improves quality of life
At Croí Health, we see each patient as a whole person—not just a diagnosis. Our team helps patients continue to enjoy their lives and find peace through a holistic, personalized approach.
And remember: hospice is palliative care, but not all palliative care is hospice. Our team is ready to help maintain or improve your loved one’s quality of life at every stage.
If you or a loved one need personalized support on the South Shore, reach out to Croí Health today to learn how our compassionate team of professionals can help.
