Can Hospice Help With Managing Complex Medications?
Managing Medications During Hospice
The time patients are in hospice care is difficult for everyone involved, but with professional medical care, your loved one can find more peace, comfort, and enjoyment in their last days. Medication often plays a vital role in a patient’s experiences, from reducing pain to managing other symptoms. Consistency is extremely important in order to ensure the drugs are working effectively and they are receiving the proper dose. With the help of a professional hospice care team, medications will be administered appropriately and on time. Patients may require stronger medications that can cause side effects such as dry mouth, drowsiness, bowel issues, and more. In hospice care, it’s extremely beneficial to have a medical professional observe and interact with the patient while receiving these medications. During hospice, regular assessments will be made to adjust medications as needed. Continue reading to learn more about medication management during hospice care and how medication can improve your loved one’s last days.
Understanding the Needs of the Patient
We have found that patients undergoing end-of-life care often have trouble expressing their pain levels. They may want to not bother anyone, have difficulty communicating, or not realize the benefits that medication can have with pain control and reducing their symptoms. During hospice care, a nurse will offer education and share medication knowledge in order to help the patient and their families better understand the role medication plays. Nurses will make pain assessments, creating a log so the entire hospice team can stay up to date and offer the best care possible. Professionally trained hospice nurses use their skills and training to offer guidance and professional care to reduce discomfort and pain in the patient’s final season of life. They understand what symptoms and side effects to watch for, and regularly determine if any changes need to be made in dosage before speaking with the patient’s medical team.
Drug Administering Safety
Proper dosage and medication management are always important when taking medication prescribed by a doctor. Complex drug management can be complicated and have serious ramifications if done incorrectly. When a drug isn’t stored, handled, or administered properly, its effectiveness can be reduced. It’s vital to follow drug handling and administration instructions perfectly to ensure the patient receives the care they need. Hospice will develop a medication plan specifically for your loved one that considers their pain, symptoms, and overall health.
Medication management isn’t just providing the medication but includes a deeper understanding of the circumstances and effective communication. Keeping patients and their loved ones informed about their hospice care status ensures caregivers, family, and hospice staff can all work together to ensure the greatest quality of life we can provide. During hospice care, professionals continuously monitor the patient, their symptoms, and potential side effects. Anytime the patient is experiencing higher levels of discomfort or pain, we can make adjustments to resolve the issue. Continue reading to learn more about the role of medication management in hospice care and how to ensure your loved one is well taken care of.
How Does Hospice Medication Management Work
Taking care of a loved one during their end-of-life journey is difficult and can be very taxing on the family caregivers, especially when dealing with medication management. Managing medications is a vital part of home hospice and can create a better quality of life for the patient. Managing a patient’s pain increases their comfort while reducing stress, anxiety, and other negative side effects. Under hospice care, the patient’s medications will be regularly adjusted according to their needs.
In hospice care, your loved one will be supported by a team of professionals, whether they are in inpatient care or receiving home hospice care. We offer consistent education and communication so you are always up to date on decisions that impact the patient’s health. We can act quickly to make adjustments to their care and work with other care providers to offer efficient care. If you have any questions regarding medication management during hospice care, continue reading or reach out to Star City Hospice.
Hospice Medications and Their Role in Improving Quality of Life
Medications that help manage pain during end-of-life care can offer relief to a variety of symptoms, including digestive problems, anxiety and stress, physical pain, nausea, and more. We assess the patient’s symptoms and evaluate how they could benefit from medication to ensure they’re receiving the correct medications for the exact problems they’re experiencing. All medications are closely monitored during this process and will benefit your loved one. Our primary focus is to make the patient’s life easier and more enjoyable during their final chapter. Internal symptoms can be easily missed without having the skills to recognize them. Reducing a patient’s pain or anxiety reduces their stress and increases their quality of life. Patients undergoing end-of-life care are likely to experience emotional discomfort and often benefit from medication to ease excess mental stress. If you have questions about medication management or are interested in learning more about how medications help patients in hospice care, contact us today!
The Importance of Proper Medication Management
Medication Management is far more extensive than simply controlling the pain of a patient. Having your hospice providers manage medications provides many benefits and eases the stress on the caregivers. In circumstances where the patient needs a complex medication, professional hospice training reduces the likelihood of any mishaps during administration. Without realizing it, caregivers may be accidentally delaying doses, be unaware of drug interactions, or may not be trained to recognize certain symptoms.
When patients are taking multiple drugs, dangerous interactions can occur. A trained hospice nurse will have a better understanding of how medications interact and be more conscious of symptoms and side effects. Without a professional understanding of hospice medications and their roles, maintaining an insufficient dosage can result in problems for the patient. Both undermedication and overmedication will likely result in unsuccessful pain management.
Pain and discomfort are the most common problems with improper medication management. In any period where administering a drug is delayed, the patient may experience unnecessary and painful symptoms. Any distress the patient undergoes can cause stress and diminish their quality of life. Professional hospice nurses can more quickly notice complications and intervene in order to reduce any discomfort the patient has. Maintaining proper management of hospice medications ensures your loved one is comfortable and their medications are effective.
Additional Ways to Manage Discomfort During Hospice Care
Medication management plays a vital role throughout hospice and can have an immensely positive impact on a patient’s quality of life. Medications are even more beneficial when paired with non-medicinal treatment methods. Patients can undergo different practices that can reduce pain, stress, anxiety, and other negative side effects. This would include massage therapy, breathing exercises, guided meditations, assistive equipment, movement and repositioning, and even application of heat or ice. Even more non-traditional therapies like music and art can offer the patient peace and comfort. Some patients undergo counseling or therapy with a mental health professional to help guide them through anxieties and depression as they navigate a difficult period of their lives.
Learn More About Star City Hospice
Star City Hospice offers hospice care services in the greater Dallas area. Our team of healthcare professionals works together to provide personalized care and service. We are proud to be on a team providing end-of-life care and working to make your loved one’s life as great as possible. Through our relationships with other healthcare providers throughout the Dallas area, we can act quickly and efficiently. We have an excellent patient-to-staff ratio, so your loved one won’t go unattended or uncared for. To learn more, contact us today!