Hospice - the practice of bringing comfort and care to the dying - is an integral part of the human experience as well as a centuries-old medical tradition. Dedicated end-of-life care can be dated as far back as the year 1095 when crusaders weary, ill, or dying on their journeys to and from the Holy Land found palliative refuge in Maltese sanctuaries. These days, however, the hospice experts at HealthKeeperz report that along with human compassion, modern caregivers are also embracing the latest advances in telemedicine, remote monitoring, and other technological breakthroughs to deliver an optimal end-of-life environment for their terminal patients.
Providing enhanced quality of life during a loved one's final days imbues terminal patients with a sense of acceptance and offers them peace of mind. HealthKeeperz, a family-centric, faith-based organization with close to six decades of professional experience, notes that taking a holistic approach to end-of-life care that blends state-of-the-art hospice technology with personalized care can greatly ease the emotional and physical burden on patients, family, and caregivers, while at the same time bolstering everyone involved in the process with spiritual support.
HealthKeeperz on Using Telemedicine To Enhance End-of-Life Care
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems practically the whole world "went remote." Teleconferencing via Zoom and other applications has become the new normal, and nowhere more so than in the field of telemedicine. Using video technology rather than in-person visits, doctors and medical practitioners found that often, they were able to diagnose patients' ailments and prescribe treatments via online medical appointments, as well as employ digital tools to monitor ongoing health conditions.
While spurred by necessity in the beginning, telehealth has since proven to have numerous practical benefits, especially among elderly, critically ill, and terminal patient populations. "Telehealth may be useful for conditions that require close monitoring, clinical assessment, and early intervention to prevent adverse events, such as unwanted emergency hospitalization," the National Institutes of Health reports. "The potential benefits of telehealth could include increased quality of life by improving independence and self-management with increased choice, improved access to community palliative care services for those wishing to die at home, and reduction in unnecessary hospital admissions."
According to HealthKeeperz, telehealth facilitates better communication between patients, families, and a medical team, which results in stronger, more meaningful relationships, improved trust, and, ultimately, complete comprehensive care. Telehealth also provides greater access to patients with limited mobility for whom travel to and from medical facilities is an undue strain, increases feelings of independence, lessens exposure to COVID and other transmittable diseases, limits waiting times, and is highly cost-effective.
If there is any downside to telehealth, it may be a patient's unfamiliarity with the technical end of things. "While many older Americans are comfortable accessing telehealth services, others may benefit from step-by-step guidance or support from a family member or caregiver to help them initiate and participate in a telehealth visit," telehealth.hhs.gov shares.
The professional hospice staff at HealthKeeperz believes in taking "a patient approach" to technically challenged end-of-life patients. By providing guidance through the initial learning curve and explaining the technology at the onset of telehealth protocols, then remaining on hand as needed during video appointments, especially as terminal conditions progress, caregivers are able to furnish the best outcomes to patients and ensure medical personnel have the most up-to-date data to make informed care decisions.
Using Cutting-Edge Digital Health Tools to Coordinate End-of-Life Care
Video teleconferencing is just one of an array of digital health tools currently employed in the day-to-day care of hospice patients. Other innovations include an app that connects a patient's medical records to their hospital patient portal and a video app that allows hospice patients to record emergency medical care and do-not-resuscitate instructions. To optimize end-of-life care, telehealth.hhs.gov suggests the "use [of] remote monitoring devices such as blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, and continuous glucose monitors, which measure vital information such as cardiac conditions and diabetes ... could minimize the need for in-person visits."
As borne out by NIH research, HealthKeeperz notes having witnessed the ways in which digital medical reminders have proven to be extremely valuable on both practical and emotional levels for hospice patients. "Patients perceived that use of telehealth improved quality of care, enhanced self-management of pain, and contributed to more sincere pain reporting," the NIH stated. "Patients who tended to forget which medication they had taken regarded the medication overview on the app as supportive, and those who took their analgesics based on the clock found the visual and sound reminders useful."
How the Latest Medical Devices and Equipment Support Quality of Life
While technology is becoming an increasingly trusted tool for the facilitation of communication between hospice patients and their medical teams, addressing patients' physical needs to ensure a safe, healthy, comfortable home-care environment through the deployment of the most appropriate therapeutic devices and high-quality medical equipment remains a paramount priority. Certified by the North Carolina Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers and the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, HealthKeeperz is well versed in the dispensing, maintenance, and proper use of top-of-the-line home medical equipment such as mobility aids, pain management devices, and a range of home medical supplies that promote a continued quality of life for everyone in its care.
"We deliver products and supplies that allow patients to do the things they have always done and enjoy the things they have always enjoyed," HealthKeeperz states. "Often, the right products make all the difference in the lives of our patients and their family members."
At HealthKeeperz, Holistic Hospice Care Embraces the Old and the New
At the core of HealthKeeperz's ongoing commitment to providing the finest holistic end-of-life management services for those in their community is being able to successfully blend the honored traditions of compassionate care and professional excellence with the latest technological advances to create the most effortless, tranquil transition possible. By furnishing a safe, reassuring, and uplifting atmosphere, HealthKeeperz ensures that over the course of this final journey, patients and their families are able to come together, take comfort, and by the journey's end, find spiritual peace.
