Hospice vs. Home Health Care: Knowing the Difference for Your Loved Ones with Nurse Hadley

Dec 14, 2022

Hospice care is a compassionate and essential service that aims to improve the quality of life for patients with terminal illnesses. Contrary to misconceptions, hospice does not hasten death; rather, it focuses on providing comfort and support during the natural progression of the illness. This form of specialized care not only helps individuals live longer but also enhances their overall well-being. Hospice care offers a range of services tailored to each patient's unique needs, including pain management, emotional support, and spiritual guidance. It differs from home health care in that it concentrates on alleviating symptoms and enhancing the patient's end-of-life experience rather than curative treatments.

Those who give hospice a try, often find solace and comfort in this new routine. The hospice team is available 24/7, making it reliable and different from home health care. This accessibility means that patients can avoid unnecessary visits to the emergency room by contacting hospice for immediate assistance, which is truly a game changer. Choosing hospice care allows patients and their families to make the most of their precious time together, finding comfort and support during a challenging phase of life.

Join the conversation with Nurse Hadley as she shares her stories and life lessons from the perspective of being a Hospice nurse, momma, wife, and author of a New York Times best-selling book -The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments. Nurse Hadley is a Passionate advocate for end-of-life care and a TikTok star who shares moving stories of joy, wisdom, and redemption from her patients’ final moments.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from the Episode;

[00:30] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Nurse Hadley

[01:43] Nurse Hadley’s backstory and how she started out in hospice education

[03:14] What Nurse Hadley does on Instagram and TikTok

[04:35] Nurse Hadley’s book project, The In Between, and her goals

[05:41] A story in Nurse Hadley's book that describes the most difficult patient death for her

[06:56] Something important that you should know about Hospice

[08:22] What Nurse Hadley recommends patients focus on when on hospice service

[11:30] A question Nurse Hadley often gets from patients on Instagram and TikTok

[12:53] The time Nurse Hadley spends touching base with people to give them comfort

[14:08] Why hospice and whatever it does, does not kill patients; it’s the illness

[16:41] Hospice comfort care and how it helps people live longer

[18:27] The difference between home health care and hospice care

[19:23] What inspired Nurse Hadley to get into hospice care space

[22:07] How to get Nurse Hadley's book and about her Nonprofit hospice house goals

[24:33] How to reach out and connect with Nurse Hadley

[24:54] Wrap-up and end of the show

Notable Quotes

● Give hospice a try; 90% of people do that, and they get comfortable in their new routine with hospice, and they wouldn’t have had that comfort if they hadn’t given it a trial. [07:31]

● You should always read the directions on the label of the medicine bottles and the written directions given in an after-visit summary; there are multiple medicines in comfort care; read and follow directions, and if you have any questions, call the hospice care team, that what they are there for.”. [16:11]

● The aids that hospice provides and the 24-7 availability makes it different from home health care; whenever you don’t have to go to the ER because you can call hospice, that is a game changer. [18:40]