Hospice in ALF | Hummingbird Hospice

Hummingbird Hospice is well recognized and helpful in nursing home and assisted living settings

Terminally ill residents in San Antonio and surrounding communities can receive hospice services without having to leave their senior living community. Many assisted living communities embrace an “aging in place” philosophy in respect to seniors’ desires. Assisted living and hospice caregivers work together to provide residents with increased levels of care during their stay.

Hummingbird Hospice focuses on the the person, not the disease. We prioritizes our patient’s wishes and in the care plan and focus on quality of life; allowing each patient to live as fully as possible despite their terminal illness.

Hospice Care in Assisted Living Facilities and Care Homes

When the time has come to consider hospice for yourself or a loved one, a common misconception is that residents must leave their senior living facility to obtain services.

Patients can receive care anywhere they call home, whether in their own personal residence, private care home, or assisted living facility. Our nurses, aides, and other care providers travel to the patient to meet and assess their needs.

There are multiple advantages to receiving hospice care in an assisted living facility. Hospice care teams provide seniors with physical and emotional support in their final months, weeks, or days. They also assist family members in making end-of-life decisions. Residents spend their final days in the comfort of their own homes because assisted living provides these services.

Hospice care services include the following:

Pain relief and symptom control
Spiritual and emotional support for feelings associated with death
Assist with medication dosing and scheduling
Services of a doctor and a nurse
Family members can use this information to help them with their caring responsibilities, and they can also get help with the transition.
Occupational and physical therapy

Many questions arise when determining if hospice care is appropriate for residents in Senior Care Communities, and what the role of hospice would be. Through partnerships to promote quality of life and compassionate care, you or your loved one can benefit from bother services.

Why is hospice provided in an skilled nursing or assisted living facility?
Hospice is both a specialized type of health care and philosophy of care. Hospice care is provided wherever a patient resides, including private residences, apartments, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Are hospice services the same as assisted living or skilled nursing care?
No, hospice delivers specific services at the end stage of life to residents and their families. Hospice care is very different from general services and focuses on pain and symptom management to ensure the patient is comfortable and able to function as well as possible during this final phase of life.

Skilled nursing and assisted living facilities provide residential and custodial services similar to what a family would provide in a home setting. Hospice cares for the final stage of life needs of the resident. The roles of the facility and hospice are complementary yet separate.

What is covered under hospice a facility?
Hospice services are covered under 3rd party insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, or Private Insurances. These include medical care, personal care, spiritual and emotional support, grief counseling, and volunteer companionship. Additionally, hospice provides medical equipment and supplementary supplies, as well as medications related to the terminal disease conditions.

Can the skilled nursing or assisted living facility provide end-of-life services?
Those who chose hospice while in a senior facility will receive optimal care through a partnership approach. By working together, we compliment the facility’s excellent services by providing additional aide care to assist with daily living, as well as on-going skilled nursing visits to address changes in condition and pain and symptom management. Hospice provides anticipatory grief support, and access to our 24/7 on-call nurses hotline. Families appreciate that the extra layer of care for their loved ones, and our facility partners appreciate having additional clinical staff available to residents who may need extra support.

In a skilled nursing or assisted living facility, hospice helps residents, facility staff, and families by providing:

Regular visits by registered nurse for management of pain and other symptoms, such as problems swallowing or breathing. Consultations and face to face visits by a specialized hospice physician are provided, as needed.
Regular visits by a certified nursing assistant for personal hygiene, such as bathing, eating, grooming, and oral care in addition to the care provided by the facility staff.
Spiritual and emotional support by a licensed social worker and chaplain for the resident and their family members.
Following loss, thirteen months of grief support from our Bereavement counselors for family members and friends.
Education that focuses on the terminal conditions, medications, symptoms, and how to best care for a patient’s medical needs during end stage of the illness.
Medications for the terminal diagnosis and related conditions as well as supplemental supplies.
Coordination of the care and medications with the resident’s personal physicians, hospice medical directors, hospice nurses, aides and facility staff.

If you or your loved one reside in a skilled nursing or assisted living facility and would like more information on how hospice might benefit you, please contact us for a complimentary consultation and assessment.

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