Assisting Hands offers hospice resource for Naperville area

End of life decisions are emotionally draining and put great stress on caregivers. To help give peace of mind to caregivers dealing with hospice issues, Assisting Hands, Naperville now offers caregivers trained to support the hospice team. Home care aides, trained in hospice by a local hospice expert and a member of the National Hospice Association, can attend to services such as incontinence, bathing, fall prevention and medication reminders.

“Hospice emphasizes palliative rather than curative treatment; quality rather than quantity of life. The dying are comforted. Professional medical care is given, and sophisticated symptom relief provided. The patient and family are both included in the care plan and emotional, spiritual and practical support is given based on the patient's wishes and family's needs. Trained home aides can offer respite care for family members as well as meaningful support to the patient and the Hospice team,” said Richard Ueberfluss, a physical therapist and president of Assisting Hands-Naperville.

Ueberfluss adds that the medical aspects of hospice care are provided by the hospice medical team who make weekly home visits to ensure quality of care and prescribe medications. Home aides supplement this care daily with emotional support and quality of life services.

Ueberfluss notes that adult children living some distance away from the person in hospice often want to move him or her into a nursing home. But most hospice patients prefer to be at home rather than in a nursing home. Using a hospice trained home aide gives hospice patients the ability to make decisions and gives a sense of control. This can support a person's ability to deal with other aspects of this life event.

For more information, call (630) 343-5438 or visit Assisting Hands online at: assistinghands-chicago.com