The holidays are a time for families to come together and share the joys of life, but for families faced with making a decision about hospice care, the holiday season could also bring extra stress. The desire to put off a decision about entering hospice until after the holidays is a natural one, but starting hospice care during the holidays could actually reduce stress and let the whole family focus on love and togetherness instead. Holiday Hospice Care at Home One big concern about hospice during the holidays is where care should take place. Three Oaks Hospice provides care wherever a patient ..read more

ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a terminal illness that progresses in stages after a diagnosis. At the end stages of ALS, hospice care can help the patient maintain personal dignity and enjoy the best possible quality of life after stopping medical intervention. When Is an ALS Patient Eligible for Hospice Care? Because ALS is a progressive disease that can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to reach the final stages, determining when to pursue hospice care can be complicated. A doctor typically needs to refer the patient to hospice care ..read more

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and World Alzheimer’s Day occurs annually on September 21, making this the ideal time to have a conversation with loved ones about the disease. If a family member has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or you have a family history of this form of dementia, you might have concerns about how to provide appropriate care as the illness progresses or questions about what to expect. Hospice and palliative care services can help family caregivers manage the unique challenges of providing a high quality of life during end-stage Alzheimer's disease, so conside ..read more

A terminal illness diagnosis brings many challenges, but it doesn't have to mean leaving your home or being without the support of those you love. In-home hospice care helps you or your loved one remain in a familiar, comfortable environment during the final days, weeks, or months of life. What Is In-Home Hospice Care? Patients and families often refer to hospice services as "going into hospice," but hospice and palliative care aren't limited to a specific place. Instead, hospice care is provided at the location the patient resides, whether that's the individual's home, a family member's resid ..read more

Children of aging parents often find themselves responsible for care decisions about senior family members, and planning ahead can make the process easier. Waiting until an emergency occurs makes decisions more stressful, so consider the options available for your loved one early. Three Oaks Hospice offers caring, compassionate hospice care and provides a wide variety of services designed to help families adjust to this new phase of life. Setting Up a Family Meeting Discussing senior care and end-of-life care with your parents is the first step to making these types of major life decisions. If ..read more

When a loved one faces the end of life, family members and friends go through a complex process of grief that can last for months or years. Three Oaks Hospice offers assistance to families in bereavement and can help you make the most of those last days spent with your loved one. Learning healthy bereavement strategies makes it easier to work through the various stages of grief. Understanding the Grieving Process Grief develops differently for everyone, so there isn't one correct or proper way to grieve. There is also no specific timeline for grieving, and some people experience grief in waves ..read more

Memory Care Hospice When a loved one faces the end stages of advanced dementia, family members and caregivers often feel overwhelmed trying to care for a relative who may not recognize them or remember important details about major care decisions. Hospice care can help ensure a high quality of life during those final months or weeks of life and ease family caretakers' burden. For individuals with alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, hospice care includes attention to both the symptoms of the illness and the patient's emotional state.  Quality Care for Dementia Patients  De ..read more

Advanced Heart Disease and Hospice Care Patients with congestive heart failure, or CHF, need access to caregivers with the expertise and skills to help them manage their symptoms. Families may have trouble knowing how to care for a patient with heart disease, and caregiver burnout can leave family members exhausted and overwhelmed. When it comes to advanced heart disease hospice care, emotional support can be as important as physical symptom management and assistance with daily tasks, and an effective hospice care team provides services to help both the patient and the family navigate this sta ..read more

Hospice care during the COVID-19 pandemic is a tremendous support to families and patients. Following established safety and hygiene protocols helps keep everyone safe. It's possible to blend compassionate care with safe practices, and many terminally ill patients prefer being at home with loved ones instead of in a hospital setting. Hospice caregivers at Three Oaks Hospice are already used to adapting their care practices to deal with infectious diseases, such as the flu or common cold, so they are familiar with following CDC guidelines and keeping up on research into new care practices for e ..read more

Caring for a loved one who needs extra assistance can help your senior relative continue to live independently, but caregiver burnout may develop if you're taking on more than you can reasonably handle. Knowing the signs of caregiver burnout can help you decide when to contact a hospice or palliative care provider for assistance. Three Oaks Hospice provides palliative and hospice care for local patients who need help with activities of daily living. Caregiver Duties Caregivers take on duties that senior or terminally ill relatives formerly did on their own to make living at home easier. This m ..read more