Hospice care is considered by many to be the optimal experience for elders who decide they want to live somewhere without all the hassle and upkeep of a house or simply unable to adequately care for themselves any longer. Hospice care facilities aim to maintain the values that distinguish them from many other elder care options: quality, compassion, team-orientated that makes their holistic approach to medical care, unlike any other.
Why Hospice Care?
Choosing new living arrangements for a loved one can prove challenging; not everyone has the same genuine intentions and love as a family often leaving families at a lost about properly caring for their elderly. Studies show that nearly 15% of adults over 60 suffer from a mental health disorder that can range from mild to severe, making the elderly quite susceptible to harm if they live alone. Hospice care services specialize in caring for the mentally disabled and providing them around the clock care to ensure their well-being. The holistic approach most hospice care uses attributes to their success. Attentive and compassionate, staff are available during all hours, seven days a week to provide patients the individualistic attention they require to feel loved during their time at hospice care, and spiritual support is even offered to accommodate patients who are devoutly religious. Since holistic hospice care facilities became available, a staggering influx of patients grew hospice care from 513,000 during the early 2000s to nearly 1.4 million as of recent as 2015, with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) accounting for 5.4% of hospice patients were under 65. The numbers are continuing to increase because of the personalized care patients are guaranteed. Moreover, the process is almost immediate, a hospice representative typically visits the patient within 48 hours after the referral, allowing an easier, quicker transition for their loved one.
What is Holistic Hospice?
A holistic hospice facility offers alternative medicinal options to palliative care, such as aromatherapy, massage therapy, pet therapy, and even Reiki, a Japanese stress-reduction method. However, even though its growing popularity, it is not a new method. Holistic hospice approaches reference back as early as 11th century Jerusalem, when a religious group of monks set up throughout a pilgrimage road to assist travelers who were suffering from unknown aches and illnesses, setting their focus on the entire body to rid them of afflictions instead of area. Holistic derives from the Greek word, “holos” meaning whole, citing emotions, environmental factors, and lifestyle as a significant impact on one’s health because of their toxic energies that were believed to attract malicious spirits, manifesting themselves in one’s subconscious to cause illness and disease. While it is worded differently today, its intent remains, hospice care implements the use of holistic methods to allow elders to a different approach to conventional medications or lifestyle to cleanse themselves, spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Where Do I Find Holistic Hospice Facilities?
There are numerous facilities that offer holistic methods because of their popularity. Most are quite ritualistic in their methods and utilize different alternatives depending on where you go. The most sought-after facilities are hospice care in Arizona. Hospice in Tucson is known for their innovative work and commitment to community outreach to serve better their patients, particularly a hospice in Tucson teaching their practice of soulful hospice care that intertwines community and outreach as an alternative method to medications to improve patient’s lives in all aspects.