Skip to main content

From the Neighborhood Press

What Is Specialized Senior Care?

As we get older, it’s perfectly natural to require more advanced levels of care. But unfortunately, our families can’t always help us with our daily needs. Whether it’s due to time, location, or other external factors, there may be a time when we need a special form of care to maintain a high quality of life.

This is when specialized senior care, like that offered at a hospice, becomes an excellent option. When choosing a senior living community, it’s important to make an informed decision—make sure they offer what you need for a high quality of life!

Hospice Care

Hospice care is specialized end-of-life healthcare focused on providing comfort, support, and compassionate care for those with terminal illnesses. It aims to enhance the quality of life through pain management, emotional support, and addressing physical, social, and spiritual needs. Here at Del Corazon Hospice, we offer 4 approaches to hospice care:

  • Routine home care: The most common form of hospice care, this approach addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of every person in care, with a plan designed for each person’s specific needs in their own home.
  • Continuous hospice care: Otherwise known as crisis care, this level of care addresses rapidly changing needs that require immediate medical assistance and intervention. This short-term level of advanced care provides patients with skilled nursing.
  • Inpatient hospice care: This level of care is provided when a patient needs more care than in their home. The goal of inpatient care is to encourage healing and provide patients with access to immediate medical care, hoping they can return to their homes and family.
  • Respite care: This level of care provides the primary caregiver rest. In many situations, caregivers are often family members who also work and have their own families—they need a break to prevent burnout. Our trained team can care for their loved one so the caregiver can take a break and relax. 

A group of seniors sitting, talking to each other, and having a cup of tea in a senior living community

What are the Benefits of Hospice Care?

As seniors age, it’s common to experience complications with some medical conditions that may require emergency intervention. When a situation like this arises, hospice care becomes an excellent option.

Hospice care offers comprehensive medical care so that residents can receive the support they need. This care focuses on:

  • Managing pain
  • Controlling symptoms
  • Maintaining comfort
  • Supporting residents so they can maintain a high quality of life

The teams in hospice care are trained to work closely with doctors, nurses, and care specialists to create a personalized care plan to address each resident’s emotional, physical, and mental needs. By utilizing a holistic approach to their care, hospice care can enhance each resident’s quality of life and provide comfort to each person there.

Emotional and Psychological Support

These communities also offer emotional support to minimalize the effects a person’s condition has on their mental health. By providing therapeutic options through social workers, counselors, or even spiritual care providers, hospice care can help alleviate the stress residents may be feeling and help them feel more positive about their situation.

They encourage open communication with each person there and facilitate important conversations so that residents have the ability to openly communicate their needs. By listening to what each person needs and taking active steps to meet these needs, hospice care prioritizes each resident and makes each person feel heard.

Hospice care doesn’t just offer support for the residents—they also recognize that the impact of a serious medical condition extends to the families of residents as well. These communities often offer support and counseling services to the family members and loved ones of residents, allowing everybody to receive support and assistance while navigating the complicated field of caregiving and grief.

They also offer education, guidance, and advice for the loved ones of each resident to prepare them for the next steps of their residents’ conditions.

Specialized Senior Care in Santa Fe

If you or a loved one are in need of hospice care in Santa Fe, reach out to us here at Del Corazon Hospice. With our 4 different levels of care, we’re here to support you and your loved ones to promote a high quality of life and peace of mind. 

We understand that the need for hospice care can be an emotional time. Contact us today, and let us help you.

 

More Articles

Who Qualifies for Hospice?

When it comes to caring for a senior loved one with a chronic illness, it’s natural to want the best for them. But what if you can’t care for them yourself anymore? It may be time to think about hospice care so they can get support from a team of trained caregivers. But who qualifies…

Read More

What Hospice Does Not Tell You: Common Misconceptions

Hospice care often conjures up images of a patient lying in bed, receiving minimal medical intervention as they approach the end of life. However, this limited perspective perpetuates several misconceptions about what hospice care actually entails.  Hospice care is a comprehensive approach focused on providing quality of life and dignity, not just making patients comfortable…

Read More

How Long Does It Take to Recover From Caregiver Burnout?

Caregiving can be a fulfilling experience, but it can also take a significant toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. As a caregiver, you need to be aware of the symptoms of burnout and the steps you can take to recover from it.  Recovering from caregiver burnout isn’t a one-size-fits-all process and it varies…

Read More

What Is Specialized Senior Care?

As we get older, it’s perfectly natural to require more advanced levels of care. But unfortunately, our families can’t always help us with our daily needs. Whether it’s due to time, location, or other external factors, there may be a time when we need a special form of care to maintain a high quality of…

Read More