The diagnosis of a terminal illness is never easy to hear. Once the patient and family have made the difficult and emotionally taxing decision to move from a curative to a comfort focus of care, families are often not prepared for the reality of caring for their loved one at home.
Where will hospice care be provided? Who will be the primary caregiver? How will we cover 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week? Will the equipment fit into the home? How do I balance caregiving and my job? I don’t have the money to hire a caregiver while I’m at work, so now what? I’m too ill myself to be able to provide the care that will be needed. How do I make sure there is someone trained and capable of providing what is needed?
Hospice care in the U.S. is set up to be delivered in the patient’s or a family member’s home, and depends heavily on unpaid family caregivers. More than a quarter of adults at the end of life require more than 40 hours of unpaid help a week. The typical caregiver is a middle aged woman who works either full or part time, and has children at home to care for. A spouse may be in ill health themselves, and if no family live close by, who are able to help, the care may prove to be too much. For those who are homeless or are estranged from family and friends, hospice care in a homelike setting may be out of reach.
The Hansen House offers an alternative for families who want their loved ones cared for in a home atmosphere, yet find that the burdens of care outweigh their ability to provide the care themselves. The Hansen House option allows family to visit as often as possible, all while knowing there are trained caregivers there to provide the physical caring.