Inpatient Hospice Care Services in Central Georgia

When management of pain or symptoms becomes too complex for routine home hospice care, the hospice patient can be moved to a hospital to receive specialized care. Inpatient hospice care arranged and managed by Hospice Care Options is often a short-term solution, and the patient can return home once their symptoms are back under control.

Common reasons a patient needs inpatient hospice care

During hospice care, it’s common for a patient’s condition temporarily change. In the case that the patient’s condition deteriorates to the point that they need to be temporarily hospitalized, inpatient hospice care becomes appropriate.

Situations where inpatient hospice care may become appropriate include:

• A sudden increase in pain that cannot be controlled with at-home methods
• Uncontrollable nausea and vomiting
• Broken bones or other injuries
• Respiratory distress
• Seizures
• Wounds that require complex care
• Unmanageable restlessness or agitation

Who manages inpatient care for hospice?

When the hospice patient is transferred to a hospital for inpatient care, the care team at Hospice Care Options works with the patient’s physicians at the hospital to create a care plan that provides optimum comfort for the patient. Hospice inpatient care is a group effort, with coordination between the hospital staff, physicians, and the patient’s hospice interdisciplinary team.

Inpatient hospice care services

Hospice care adjusts to meet the changing needs of the patient, and services are provided to keep the patient comfortable no matter where they are – in a hospital, at home, in a nursing facility, etc. These services may include:

• Medical care services
• Nursing services
• Pain management
• Symptom management
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Social services
• Nutritional counseling and assistance
• Grief counseling and support
• Personal care and grooming

Who receives hospice inpatient care?

Anyone in hospice may occasionally need inpatient services. When the patient’s symptoms increase to the point that 24-hour medical supervision is necessary, inpatient care becomes appropriate. Temporary inpatient hospice care is quite common for most hospice patients.

Will my loved one return home after inpatient care?

Our goal is to keep hospice patients in their own homes as much as possible. Many patients can return to their homes after a brief period in an inpatient care facility, though others may need to stay longer. Every patient is different, and we evolve the type of care provided to meet our patients’ needs.

Why hospitalize a person receiving hospice care?

When most people go to a hospital, they go with the expectation of “getting better.” But for someone in hospice care, the goal of inpatient care is different.

Inpatient hospice care centers around keeping the patient comfortable as they approach the end of life. Hospitalizing a hospice patient is not with the goal of treatment, but symptom management. When troublesome symptoms like nausea, anxiety, injury, or respiratory distress are unable to be controlled by the means available at home, hospital-level measures become necessary. Inpatient hospice care is not about curing an illness, but rather, taking whatever action necessary to eliminate or reduce the suffering of the hospice patient.

While care will be provided to your loved one to manage their symptoms and keep them as comfortable as possible, more invasive or unnecessary medical tests and procedures will be forgone in inpatient hospice care. Invasive procedures are discontinued unless necessary for the care of the patient. Our goal is support and comfort, and keeping your loved one from enduring unnecessary tests and treatments is part of that.

Grief counseling and support

The process is dying usually comes with a wide array of emotions, both for the patient and their loved ones.

Grief counseling and support are available for inpatient hospice patients and their families. Working with a grief counselor can help you process the complicated feelings and emotions that come along naturally when you’re preparing for someone you love to leave this world. For the patient, talking with a counselor can help them make a peaceful transition and spend the last days of their lives in a mindset of tranquility.

Spiritual counseling is also available for those who are interested.

Does your loved one need inpatient hospice care?

When someone you love is nearing the end of life, you want to be sure that they have the best care available to keep them comfortable. If you’ve got questions about inpatient hospice care or any of the levels of hospice care, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Since 1997, we’ve been helping families deal with end-of-life transitions with dignity and compassion. Give us a call today.