Compassionate End-of-Life Care in Salt Lake City
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The fragility of life should always be respected and honored. If you've been looking for end of life care near you, Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice stands are your pillar of strength. We go above and beyond your highest expectations to ensure that all individuals get the utmost support during their most vulnerable moments.
Hospice represents a compassionate approach to end-of-life care. Although death is a natural part of life, the thought of dying still terrifies many people. You or someone you love may imagine pain and loneliness, and be spending the final days far from family, friends and all they know and love. However, hospice care can transform the passage into a peaceful, healing transition. The hospice benefit allows a beneficiary with terminal illness to forgo curative treatment for the illness and instead receive palliative (comfort) care.
Good Shepherd's hospice services offer the knowledge and skills of an interdisciplinary team of professionals (e.g. physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, and hospice aides). To be eligible for hospice care, a beneficiary must be certified as having a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Hospice care can be provided in a skilled nursing facility, at home, an assisted living facility or an inpatient setting.
To be eligible for hospice care, a beneficiary must be certified as having a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of 6 months or less. Hospice care can be provided in a skilled nusring facility, at home, an assisted living facility or an inpatient setting.
Why Palliative Care Matters
Palliative care is often misunderstood and underappreciated, but its importance cannot be overstated. It goes beyond simply managing pain by encompassing a holistic approach to caring for individuals with serious illnesses, aiming to improve their quality of life and provide support to the patient and their loved ones. This specialized form of care focuses on addressing physical symptoms, emotional distress, spiritual needs, and practical concerns to make people comfortable no matter where they're located.
This kind of care places an emphasis on personalized treatment plans that take into account the unique needs and goals of each patient. Your hospice nurse will recognize that every individual's journey is different and aims to provide tailored support accordingly, and get personalized support through a comprehensive network of assistance in navigating the complexities of serious illness.
In addition to improving patients' comfort levels and reducing their suffering, palliative care has shown positive effects on overall outcomes. Studies have suggested that patients who receive this type of care in conjunction with curative treatments experience better symptom management, improved communication between healthcare providers and families, enhanced satisfaction with their care experiences, and even prolonged survival in some cases. By shifting our perspective from solely focusing on curing diseases to also recognizing the importance of providing holistic support throughout an individual's health journey, choosing our hospice and palliative care option gives you the peace of mind you deserve. Contact Good Shepherd Home Care and Hospice for more information.
Hospice Services Include:
Skilled Nursing
Pain & Sympton Management
Respite Care
Social Services
Spiritual Services
Therapy Services
Medication Management
(e.g., oxygen, antibiotics, pain management, IV fluids, etc., when appropriate.)
Medical Equipment & Supplies
Bereavement
Diagnoses With Indicators:
- Decubitus ulcers, multiple, especially if infection is present.
- Recent history of frequent hospital stays and ER visits.
- A serum albumin that is less than 2.5 gm/dl.
- Unable or unwilling to take in food and fluids sufficient to sustain life.
- Weight loss that is greater than 10% over last 6 months that was not intentional.
- Over 90 years of age with multiple system co-morbidities.
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)Rapid progression significant dyspnea at rest/supplemental oxygen required at rest.
- Cancer Patient has failed other treatment and chooses not to try any further therapies or there is evidence of metastatic disease.
- Dementia Deficient in several ADLs. Inability to speak more than a few meaningful words. Fever, Aspiration pneumonia, Decubitus Ulcers – may also be seen.
- Diabetes Mellitus History of diabetes> 20 years Renal failure
- Vascular Insufficiency (cardiac, cerebral, peripheral, hypertension) Neuropathy, Retinopathy
- End Stage Neuromuscular Disease MD, MS Parkinson's Disease, Myasthenia Gravis
- End Stage Renal Disease Elective discharge of dialysis Hepatorenal syndrome Intractable fluid overload.
- HIV Disease Patient has elected to forgo antiretroviral and prophylactic medication, and is experiencing complications.
- Liver Disease Hepatorenal syndrome Stupor (late stage) Obtundation Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
- Pulmonary Disease Prior medication therapies have now failed. Cyanosis, wheezing, fatigue may also be present.
- Cardiac Disease Prior medication therapy has failed. Rales, Edema, Syncope, Tachycardia, or Tachypnea may be seen.
- COPD/Pulmonary Disease Non-response to RX therapy Rales; Gallop rhythm; S3, S4 Edema, pitting edema Syncope/near –syncope Tachypnea at rest Tachycardia at rest.
- CVA/Stoke and Coma CT or MRI findings consistent with terminal diagnosis Cannot sit up without assistance Medical complications related to debility and progressive clinical decline.
- Debility Unspecified Co-existing morbidities exist which in isolation or in combination lead to clinical determination that life expectance is less than 6 months.
These are just a few of the many diseases and indicators that may be cause for a hospice evaluation. We will be glad to evaluate your patient for you to determine whether or not they are appropriate for hospice care.