Understanding Discomfort: Distinguishing it from Pain While Caring for Your Terminally Ill Loved One
Caring for a terminally ill loved one is a profound and challenging journey that requires compassion, understanding, and a willingness to alleviate any discomfort they may experience. In this guide, we will explore the concept of discomfort, its distinction from pain, and the importance of recognizing and addressing discomfort in addition to pain. You’ll be better equipped to provide holistic care that enhances your loved one’s quality of life during this sensitive time.
Throughout your loved one’s illness, you might find yourself thinking that they don’t require “pain medication” because they don’t seem to be in pain. They might even respond with a direct “no” when asked about their pain. However, are you aware that most types of pain medication can alleviate discomfort? Did you also know that your loved one could be feeling uncomfortable without necessarily being in severe pain? Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize that their discomfort requires the same treatment as if they were in pain.
Empowering Hospice Nurses: Conquering Medicare Audits and Improving Documentation for Better Patient Care
This article provides valuable insights for hospice nurses on improving documentation to conquer Medicare audits and ensure claims are not denied due to insufficient evidence of terminal prognosis. The author shares real-life examples of visit narratives before and after implementing documentation best practices learned from an expert. The tips focus on capturing negative condition changes, disorientation levels, and functional decline to paint a clear picture of the patient’s terminal state, ultimately leading to better patient care.
Educating Facility Staff on What Matters for Terminally Ill Patients
Educating nursing home staff on hospice care priorities like shifting focus from vital signs to comfort, managing symptoms like pain/breathlessness, providing psychosocial support, end-of-life planning, and bereavement care is crucial. Hospice emphasizes quality of life over curative treatments. Effective symptom management through medications and non-pharmacological approaches enhances patient comfort. Open communication, empathy, and respecting patient autonomy are essential. Hospice prepares families for the dying process and grief counseling.
The Life of Least Regrets
The longer I work in hospice, the more I’m reminded about two critical pieces of wisdom: 1) Hospice is about living, and 2) we should all do our best to live a life of least regrets.
While this article is geared towards family members with a terminally ill loved one, as well as my fellow workers in the fields of palliative and hospice care, I believe the thoughts that I will share apply to everyone alive near and far.
Review of the Hospice Documentation Master Bundle
Whether you are a new hospice nurse or an experienced one like me, I would hope that it is your desire to prove and support continued hospice eligibility for your patients and families. In my years as a hospice nurse, I’ve always felt the training on what words and phrases to use to support hospice eligibility was weak compared to the training received in other areas of nursing. Now, you have a means of getting the education you need in a very portable setup that you can take with you, use as you see fit, and bloom!
Clues for terminal restlessness often missed for facility patients
One of the hardest portions of the job of a hospice nurse is to identify when a patient has two weeks of life left to live; this can be especially difficult at facilities going through staffing shortages leading to inconsistent caregivers with little to verbally report on a patient’s change of condition. Since being aware of the velocity of declines is extremely important, let’s cover an area that we in hospice (nurses, families, and caregivers alike) can keep an eye on in terms of identifying terminal restlessness which is often a key indicator for one week or less of life.
How Hospice RN Case Managers Can Reduce After-Hour Calls
I understand the challenges that patients and families face when receiving hospice services. One common issue that arises is the need for after-hour calls, which can add stress to an already demanding situation. However, with proactive care and effective communication, dayshift hospice RN case managers can play a crucial role in reducing after-hour calls and providing better support to patients and their families. Here’s how:
What Hospice Nurses should assess every visit
Hospice nurses play a vital role in providing quality care and comfort to terminally ill patients and their families. They must make accurate and timely assessments of the patient’s condition, needs, and preferences every visit. This article will outline the key aspects that hospice nurses should assess every visit, in addition to the standard physical assessment.
Should dying patients be on oxygen?
I have cared for many terminally ill patients over the years. One question that comes up frequently is should the dying patient be on oxygen at the end of life?
I see it from both sides, from hospice intake personnel as well as the admitting nurse — all had it drilled into them over the years that low oxygen saturation must be treated — to families who see how hospital and nursing home staff rush to put someone on oxygen because of low oxygen saturation.
Contrary to widespread belief, most dying patients do not need oxygen. Here’s why:
Frequency of Changes in Condition as an Indicator of Approaching Death
Recognizing the velocity of changes in a patient’s condition is crucial for hospice nurses. By understanding the pace of changes in vital signs, symptoms, functionality, and more, nurses can anticipate needs, adjust care plans, and communicate the prognosis effectively with patients and families. The article provides guidelines on interpreting the velocity to estimate the time a patient has left.
The Hospice Nursing Visit from a Nursing Perspective — Home Patients
This article offers guidance for new visiting hospice nurses struggling with work-life balance. It covers strategies like maintaining a recertification journal, pre-charting before visits, assessing end-of-life status, educating families, and preparing for a “good death.” By following these tips, nurses can take less work home while delivering focused, compassionate care.
Best Practices for Approaching Combative Dementia Patients
Dementia is a progressive brain disorder that affects a person’s cognitive abilities, memory, and behavior. In the later stages of the disease, some patients can become combative and aggressive, making it difficult for caregivers to provide the necessary care. As a hospice nurse, it’s important to know how to approach and manage combative dementia patients to ensure their comfort and safety. Here are some best practices to consider: