A nurse is teaching a client and their family about home hospice care. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Hospice care improves quality of life through palliative care: Hospice focuses on providing comfort, symptom management, and emotional support for clients with terminal illnesses. The primary goal is enhancing quality of life rather than curing the underlying disease. B. Hospice care provides 24-hr, in-home care: While hospice offers support and on-call services, it does not guarantee continuous 24-hour in-home care. Family caregivers remain the primary providers of daily care, with hospice staff available for assistance as needed. C. Hospice care is intended to postpone death: Hospice care is not designed to prolong life but to ensure comfort and dignity at the end of life. Interventions are focused on symptom relief rather than curative treatments. D. Hospice care encourages the family to coordinate health care services: Hospice staff coordinate care, relieving the family of managing complex medical needs. Families are supported rather than being responsible for coordinating all services themselves.