Hospice Care Greenville: Myths, Services, and How to Select the Right One for Your Family

By Bruce Meyer
Hospice care is a special form of healthcare that provides individuals who are facing end-of-life with compassion, peace, and pain relief. The home care providers of Always Best Care of Greenville, serving Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, Fountain Inn, and Mauldin, know that there are many myths surrounding the role of hospice caregivers; however, by debunking these myths, these professionals will help you to understand the valuable services that hospice caregivers offer and how you can choose the right one for your family.

Refuting Myths Regarding Hospice Care

Ultimately, people see the need for hospice services as a death warrant; because these services are used in end-of-life situations, the philosophy of hospice care has earned a negative connotation in the minds of seniors and their families. The truth is, though, that hospice providers offer peace, comfort, and pain relief for individuals who are facing end-of-life or who have illnesses that are not responding to medical treatment. As such, these professionals provide physical, social, emotional, and, in some cases, spiritual care to patients.

Hospice Services

The main goal of a hospice caregiver is to alleviate the pain of their patients and manage their symptoms. Because of this, hospice services do not include treatment for disease. Instead, the professionals who work in this capacity offer pain management and the care necessary to minimize symptoms and keep patients comfortable. As such, they allow individuals to face terminal illnesses and end-of-life in as dignified a manner as possible while offering compassion, comfort, and peace.

Hospice care providers also work with family members to help them understand and come to terms with the condition of their loved one. They facilitate visits between patients and friends and family if necessary. Through these services, hospice is a resource upon which not only patients, but also their loved ones can rely during this time.

Choosing the Right Hospice Provider

Hospice, itself, is a healthcare philosophy. As such, there are many different organizations that provide their own version of this type of care. You will find that some take a more religious approach while others might highlight family involvement or another aspect of care. For this reason, it is important to talk to representatives from the hospice providers in your area to determine which organization will best see to the needs, priorities, and values of your elderly loved one.

The home care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville (www.AlwaysBestCareGreenville.com) understand that hospice can be a scary thing, as it has such a negative connotation; however, this information should assist you in seeing how much value this form of care can hold for your senior and your family.

Elder Care Greenville and Spartanberg: Is It Dementia or a UTI?

By Bruce Meyer

Dementia and urinary tract infections, or UTIs, actually share some symptoms that can make it difficult to tell the difference between them. According to Alzheimer's Society, both of these conditions can cause confusion, withdrawal from social and other events and activities, or agitation.[1] Additionally, since elderly individuals who are older or who already suffer from dementia may have a difficult time communicating, it may be hard for your senior to tell you exactly how they are feeling. As such, the professionals at AlwaysBest Care of Greenville, serving Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, Fountain Inn, and Mauldin, explain that it is crucial that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms, prevention methods, and cures of UTIs to best care for your loved one.[2]

UTI Symptoms

UTIs can take root at any place in the urinary tract system, including the bladder or kidneys. Some of the symptoms associated with this infection include:

• Cloudy or bloody urine
• Urine that has a strong odor
• Low fever
• Burning or painful sensation during urination
• Pressure in the lower abdomen or back
• Urge to urinate often
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• High fever
• Pain in the side or groin
• Skin that is flushed or red
• Warm skin
•  Confusion
• Nausea
• Vomiting

UTI Prevention

Your senior can reduce their risk of developing a UTI with several lifestyle changes. For instance, they can take showers instead of baths, practice healthy personal hygiene, and (in the case of women) wipe from front to back. Additionally, seniors can wear pants that do not fit too tightly, choose cotton undergarments, and change their clothing at least once per day. In terms of diet, elderly individuals can drink the proper amount of fluids and cranberry juice while refraining from alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate the urinary tract system.

UTI Cure

Antibiotics are the most common method of treatment for UTIs. In addition to antibiotics, individuals may be prescribed medications to alleviate pain and control the sudden urge to urinate. If the infection is severe, hospitalization may be necessary to ensure that your senior gets the amount of fluids, antibiotics, and other forms of care that they need.

Dementia and UTIs have surprisingly common symptoms, so the home care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville believe that it is important that you understand the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of UTIs in order to best care for your elderly loved one.

Check us out at our website.

Call us today at 864-527-0464 or visit online for a free e-booklet on senior care!

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[1] http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1777

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001549/

Always Best Care combines national strength and standards with local accessibility and personal service. The owner of Always Best Care of Greenville is Bruce Meyer. Bruce and his team assist seniors and their families in South Carolina by providing non-medical in-home care and FREE assisted living placement services. We have strong relationships with area hospitals, social workers, senior communities and senior resources throughout the area.  We have your loved ones’ best interests at heart, and will ensure that exceptional service and care is provided to all family members.

Senior Care Greenville and Spartanberg: Does Your Living Will Have a DNR Order?

By Bruce Meyer

Many individuals mistakenly assume that placing a do not resuscitate (DNR) order in a living will is the right way to go about planning for unforeseen medical situations. While it is always a good idea to be prepared by providing information regarding one's wishes to the individuals who may have to make such decisions, it is important that individuals understand the difference between a living will and a DNR order and how to enact them appropriately. If your senior is creating a living will or other advance directive, the home care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville, serving Greenville, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, Fountain Inn, and Mauldin, believe that it is crucial that they take these important notes into consideration when doing so.[1]

• The interpretation of the verbiage used in living wills is very widely debated. Terms like "seriously incapacitating" can be interpreted by different physicians to varying degrees. As such, it is important to note that there may not be one specific level of medical need that will qualify as such. This can cause complications if a DNR order is added to the directive, as it can cause medical professionals to carry out the DNR order when it is not intended.
• When medical personnel interpret living wills they are not given code status designations. As such, it can make the wishes of your elderly loved one difficult for these healthcare professionals to understand and, by extension, can cause your loved one to be treated in a manner that might not be in line with their wishes.
• Informed consent is integral in the establishment of a DNR order, as this order can mean life or death for a patient. As such, living wills do not offer the level of informed consent required in many cases. This means that, in some situations, elderly individuals who sign living wills are not always aware of the implications of their signature.

Talking about living wills and DNR orders with your elderly loved one is not an easy task. The elder care professionals at Always Best Care of Greenville (www.AlwaysBestCareGreenville.com) know that this is an emotionally difficult responsibility, to be sure, but it is crucial that you have this conversation in order to ensure that your senior's wishes are documented properly. Doing so can make future medical decisions easier for your loved one, your family, and the healthcare team responsible for your senior.

Always Best Care combines national strength and standards with local accessibility and personal service. The owner of Always Best Care of Greenville is Bruce Meyer. Bruce and his team assist seniors and their families in South Carolina by providing non-medical in-home care and FREE assisted living placement services. We have strong relationships with area hospitals, social workers, senior communities and senior resources throughout the area.  We have your loved ones’ best interests at heart, and will ensure that exceptional service and care is provided to all family members.

Check us out at our website.

Call us today at 864-527-0464 or visit online for a free e-booklet on senior care!

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[1] http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/541/living-will-dangers.html