At the end of life, there is comfort and peace for families — and the individual nearing death — in hospice care. Though there are more stand-alone hospice care facilities than were previously available, many agencies and providers go directly to the individual’s home, an assisted living apartment, or wherever the person in need of services may be.
Most assisted living communities allow residents to bring in outside providers, such as hospice care professionals, if these services are not offered on site; the opportunity for families to make these arrangements without having to transition their loved ones to another location to get the special care they need, particularly at the end of life, is a tremendous relief and burden lifted.
While the standards for what qualifies as hospice or palliative care vary among providers, it is generally an option for those with a life expectancy of six months or fewer.
This informative article from HelpGuide.org includes a listing of the typical services that a hospice team may offer: to name a few, respite care, bereavement support, spiritual counseling, social services, skilled nursing care, physical/occupational/speech therapies, inpatient care, personal care services (i.e. shaving, bathing, nail care), and physician services.
Read more about hospice care here.
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Filling in the Gaps in Assisted Living - eCaring Forum says,
[...] can “age in place” and don’t have to move. Home care, private duty care, companion care, and hospice care through outside agencies (or sometimes via an in-house provider) can fill in the gaps, as can [...]
on 25 June 2012 / 8:16 AM