Hospice Care for Stroke
About Stroke
A stroke happens when there’s a blockage of blood supply to the brain or a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. Serious strokes, or those that don’t receive early intervention, can cause complications like blood clots, swallowing problems, heart attack or seizures.
Signs of stroke progression may include:
- Weight loss
- UTI
- Paralysis
- Respiratory infection
- Difficulty swallowing
- Muscle atrophy
- Contractures
- Incontinence
- Anxiety/agitation
- Mainly in bed
- Decubiti/wounds
Each patient’s plan of care is tailored to meet their unique care needs. In general, home hospice care is about more:
- Quality of life
- Focus on personal goals
- Normal activities
- Physical and emotional support for the patient and family
- Symptom and pain management
- Resources, supplies and equipment
- Counseling and respite services
How do I know if I’m ready for in-home hospice support for my stroke?
Our hospice physician, in collaboration with the patient’s attending physician, will determine if a patient is eligible for hospice at home based on a prognosis of six months or less if their disease runs its normal course.
Some signs that a stroke patient may be ready for hospice are:
- Inability to maintain hydration and caloric intake
- Weight loss
- Aspiration
- Pneumonia
- Upper UTI
- Sepsis
- Refractory decubitus ulcers
- Recurrent fever after antibiotics
Hospice services for stroke patients
Elara Caring offers comprehensive hospice services that include nursing care, aide assistance, social work services, spiritual care and other support.
Hospice nurses, for example, assess and help manage a patient’s pain and symptoms. They are trained caregivers who provide hands-on patient care and comfort the family while also teaching them how to take the best care of their loved one.
Aides are certified nursing assistants who provide personal care, such as bathing, dressing or mouth care. They ease the burden on family caregivers by assisting with activities like light housekeeping.
Social workers provide emotional and psychosocial support to the patient and family. They coordinate the logistics of the patient’s care and help with financial concerns, funeral planning or connection to other community resources.
Other members of the hospice team include physicians, spiritual care coordinators, volunteers and bereavement coordinators (who provide bereavement services to families for 13 months).
Get in touch with Elara Caring
Contact your local Elara Caring branch for more information on hospice and how we can help you focus on the things that matter most to you.
