Comfort Care in Hospice

Blog Category: Hospice

When you research more about what hospice is, you often see the phrase “comfort care” come up with it. Comfort care is a type of end-of-life treatment for someone who is terminally ill or injured that offers a holistic approach to serving their needs and supporting their family. The following are the main areas of relief and services comfort care provides patients in need.

Comfort Medications

During the end stages of life, one is likely to experience physical discomforts from terminal illness or other causes. Discomforts can range from breathing problems, digestive problems, fatigue, pain, skin irritation, and temperature sensitivity. There are a variety of comfort medications that people in hospice may receive to feel some relief and ease their symptoms:

  • Acetaminophen to reduce fever and pain
  • Anticholinergics to regulate contraction and relax the muscles
  • Antidepressants to relieve symptoms of depression, dysthymia, and other conditions
  • Anxiolytics to treat anxiety
  • Atropine drops to reduce excess mucus secretion and saliva production
  • Dulcolax to relieve constipation
  • Fentanyl to relieve severe, ongoing pain
  • Haldol to treat terminal agitation and delirium
  • Lorazepam to relieve restlessness and trouble sleeping
  • Morphine to relieve pain and shortness of breath
  • Prochlorperazine to control severe nausea and vomiting
  • Roxanol to control severe acute and chronic pain

Emotional Support and Pastoral Care

Patients in hospice often experience feelings of anxiety, rage, regret, and melancholy over their circumstances, which can negatively affect their quality of life. Close family and friends often also experience these sad and reflective feelings, so this is a great opportunity for the care team to be supportive and connect everyone with the right resources to lift spirits.

While emotional support focuses on a patient’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions regarding the end stages of life, pastoral care addresses their religious or spiritual needs or what the mind, body, and spirit mean to them. Pastoral care is intended to help people in their grief, have peace of mind, and make sense of life and death how they need to in their final days.

The emotional support and pastoral care provided in hospice can help patients and families:

  • Connect with their faith and community
  • Find peace with their life choices and passing
  • Find ways to express their thoughts and feelings
  • Receive guidance on how to effectively communicate with each other
  • Settle any unfinished business

Holistic Experiences

This holistic hospice care approach benefits individuals’ and their families’ physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. There are many offerings within hospice care focused on happiness, spirituality, and fun:

  • Creative Opportunities: Communicating through art can sometimes be easier than finding the right words. Many have found that illness has taken over their self-identity, and taking the time to create art or find peace through music contributes to feelings of control and identity.
  • Pet Companionship: Pets are extraordinarily loyal, give unconditional love, and provide quiet comfort for the whole family. Being around an animal can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, depression, and loneliness and isolation.
  • Wellness Days: Implementing spa-like self-care activities like acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, and essential oils is a great way to reduce stiffness, swelling, anxiety, and nausea.

Learn more about our individualized comprehensive care program designed to meet the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of our patients here.

At Life Enriching Communities (LEC), we’re committed to ensuring patrons feel well-equipped to plan their future and age how they wish. Explore more resources on senior living or contact us today to learn more about our legacy of services and programs that bring meaning and purpose to every stage of life.