Deciding to transition a loved one to comfort care can be a difficult conversation for family members to have. Those closest to the patient might feel resistant, and others might not know how to make such an important decision.
It’s not uncommon for someone nearing the end of life to place great value on their final days or weeks. This is by no means “giving in” or “giving up,” as is commonly assumed. For most, comfort care is simply about being in the presence of family and surrounded by love and comfort.
Comfort care can mean many different things to someone who is terminally ill. A patient may choose to stop receiving a medication that comes with uncomfortable side effects. Or they may want to transition out of the hospital to a place with a mind, body and soul approach to treatment.
When the topic of comfort care is brought up, it involves a team of people. When a terminally ill patient is undergoing treatment, their care team usually includes a number of different doctors, nurses, caregivers and medical directors. Family members are also involved. All of these people will provide their professional insight and guidance in order to help a patient and their family make an informed decision.
A patient can transition to comfort care at a hospital, at home or at a care center like Santé. There are many advantages of transitioning to a center like Santé. The compassionate and dedicated team at Santé offers an interdisciplinary approach to address the treatment of mind, body and soul.
The Santé hospice team provides a comprehensive and compassionate range of services, including end of life care. If you’re interested in learning more about comfort care or visiting one of our care centers, call us at (480) 563-2402.