Gulfside Hospice Guide
Achieving Comfort
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- Achieving Comfort
Your comfort is our top priority.
The following tabs offer practical tips for dealing with some common ailments.
We encourage you to talk openly with your hospice care team and let them know what’s bothering you. This will ensure you are receiving the best and most appropriate treatments.
If any of your symptoms become overwhelming, your care team is always available to help around the clock. You can call for assistance any time at 800-561-4883.
One of the biggest concerns for patients in hospice care is pain. Your Gulfside Hospice care team is available around the clock to help treat pain. Each person experiences pain or discomfort in their own way. You know how you or your loved one is feeling and this will help us customize your plan of care.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
- Ask questions about your pain, including what type of pain you are having and what treatments have been most effective in the past.
- Adjust medications and dosages based on the pain reported.
- Train you on medications, side effects and if/when to give more pain medication.
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
- Take your medication as directed.
- Report any side effects to your care team.
- Talk openly and ask questions of your care team so we can work together to find the pain medicine or treatments that help you the most.
- Please note if one medication or treatment does not work. There may be other options available. Contact Gulfside Hospice for additional help or training needed with managing pain. Assistance is always available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-561-4883.
There are many different causes of nausea and vomiting. Much can be done to prevent and treat these distressing symptoms. Our hospice care team will try to find out what is causing them in order to help you be more comfortable and control those symptoms.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
- Ask you if you are having any nausea or vomiting, and will be available for you 24 hours a day.
- Provide training for you and your loved one on medications and tips for managing nausea and vomiting.
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
- Eat small, frequent meals that are soft or bland (if desired and are tolerable).
- Avoid dairy products and foods that are fatty, greasy, spicy or fried.
- Eat foods at room temperature or cooler. (Hot foods may trigger nausea).
- Provide frequent mouth care. Try sips of water or ice chips before eating again.
- Avoid strong odors such as perfume and deodorizers.
- Try to relax and focus on pleasant thoughts and activities, such as listening to music, reading, or watching TV, that may distract from the nausea.
- Rest after meals for about 1-2 hours. Activity may trigger nausea.
- Take the medication that has been ordered for nausea. Contact your care team if it is not relieving the nausea.
If vomiting occurs:
- Turn head to side to prevent choking.
- Provide oral care. Use damp, cool cloths.
- Do NOT eat or drink anything until vomiting has stopped.
- Once vomiting stops, begin with small amounts of clear liquids and gradually increase.
- Once able to keep clear liquids down, try other liquids and gradually work up to your regular diet as tolerable.
Call Gulfside immediately if:
- Vomiting happens more than two times in two hours.
- Vomit looks like coffee grounds or looks bloody.
- You have increased weakness, dizziness, thirst, or constipation.
- You are unable to swallow or keep down medications, especially ones prescribed to control nausea and vomiting.
As an individual is nearing their final days, restlessness may occur. Terminal restlessness, also referred to as terminal agitation, includes anxiety, agitation and confusion. It is possible even mild-mannered individuals may become agitated or angry. They may demand to get up, their body may jerk or twitch, or they may pull at their bedding or clothing. Understanding what terminal restlessness is and learning about other end-of-life signs can help family members cope with the changes their loved one experiences. The sudden burst of terminal restlessness can be very concerning for family members. Speak to your care team about any concerns you may have for your loved one’s safety or if you need additional emotional and spiritual support to help cope.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
- Work with you to determine if there is a treatable cause, like pain.
- Utilize the hospice social worker and/or chaplain to address underlying concerns and provide emotional or spiritual support.
- If there is no treatable symptom, the best course of action is to try to calm the individual and keep them safe.
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
- Let your Gulfside Hospice care team know if the patient becomes restless or agitated.
- Promote a calm environment with soft music.
- Dim the lights.
- Give reassurance. Speak slowly and calmly.
- Talk openly with your hospice care team.
- In order to maintain a calm environment, it may be helpful to decrease the number of visitors.
- Some people find comfort in sharing memories about special occasions, holidays, family experiences, or a memory of a favorite place.
Contact Gulfside Hospice for additional help or training needed with restlessness and agitation. Assistance is always available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800- 561-4883.
Feeling out of breath, also called shortness of breath or dyspnea, is a very uncomfortable and tiring. As a result, this can cause a lack of energy and decreased activity. There are many different ways to decrease difficulty breathing, and your care team can help customize your plan of care to meet your needs.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
- Ask questions about your breathing, which may include what treatments have been most effective.
- Work with you and your caregiver to obtain and teach you about medications, including oxygen therapy, that may be ordered for your plan of care.
- Help you manage your symptoms and figure out what is causing them.
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
- Talk openly and ask questions of your care team so you can work together to find the medicine or treatments that will help you make your breathing more comfortable.
- Plan activities to conserve your energy.
- Certain positions can help with chest expansions. Sitting upright and leaning forward helps move air in and out of your lungs.
- Elevate the head of bed with pillows.
- Eliminate allergens, such as smoke, dust and mold.
- Take your medication as directed.
- Follow the Oxygen Use & Safety Guide in your admission packet.
Contact Gulfside for additional help or training needed with trouble breathing. Assistance is always available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-561-4883.
Constipation is a symptom that your care team takes very seriously. Changes in bowel functions are common during illness. Many factors, such as lack of fluids/fiber, medications, and decreased activity or mobility, can lead to slowed bowel function and hard, infrequent stools.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
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Ask about your bowel movements.
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Work with you to determine if there is a treatable cause.
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Provide training and work with you to prevent and manage constipation.
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Work with you and your medical providers to see if there is a better option to prevent or manage the constipation
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
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Talk openly with your care team about any current or past problems with your bowels and what has helped in the past.
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Drink water, juice and other liquids as you are able to tolerate them.
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Take bowel medicine as prescribed.
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Keep track of your bowel movements.
Call Gulfside Hospice at 800-561-4883 if:
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Stool is hard and difficult to pass.
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It has been three or more days since your last bowel movement.
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Your abdomen is tender, painful or bloated.
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You have constipation with nausea and/or vomiting.
Feeling anxious and sad can have a huge impact on your wellbeing. It can lead to changes in mood, sleep, appetite and behavior. When it becomes overwhelming and starts to affect you, the care team is skilled in addressing these feelings through multiple ways including team support and medications if needed.
Your Gulfside Hospice team will:
- Ask questions and identify signs of anxiety and/or sadness.
- Share information and provide reassurance that may include counseling or spiritual support for the patient and family, as well as medications for the patient.
Patient & Caregiver: What can you do?
- Promote a calm environment.
- Learn how to recognize symptoms of sadness and/or anxiety.
- Utilize your care team members to provide counseling or spiritual support.
- Take medications as directed.
- Express feelings of anxiety and sadness to your hospice team.
Contact Gulfside Hospice for additional help needed with sadness and anxiety. Assistance is always available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-561-4883.