How informed are you about informed consent? It’s important for all of us to know the criteria used to determine a person’s ability to make important health care choices, and how that ability can impact their quality of life. This is especially true for individuals receiving hospice care. Learn more here from THE MEDICAL TEAM. Having the freedom to make our own choices is a vital component of our overall wellbeing. We may take for granted smaller decisions, such as when and what we want to eat, how we want to spend our time, what time to fall asleep and when to wake up; yet they become significant expressions of independence as we grow older. One decision that impacts us throughout our lifetime is the ability to rationally choose and make known our healthcare preferences. Known … [Read more...] about Better Hospice Care: Understanding Informed Consent
Is It Time for Hospice Care?
The term hospice care is one most families would rather not hear, and many people firmly decline this type of assistance until the need is imminent. However, the real benefit of hospice care comes through early intervention – in fact, the sooner hospice care is initiated, the more services the person will be able to access, resulting in a higher quality of later life. So exactly when should hospice care be considered, and what does it entail? The in-home care experts at THE MEDICAL TEAM have some answers. What Is Hospice Care? Hospice care enhances comfort for patients in the final stages of life. Care can and should begin as soon as the doctor provides certification that an individual’s particular condition generally results in a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice … [Read more...] about Is It Time for Hospice Care?