Arrange palliative care at home

In the final phase of life, help at home can bring a lot of peace. You can think of care, support, and practical help in the home. It helps to look in time at what is needed.

What help can come to the home?

In the final phase of life, care at home can often simply continue. The wish to stay at home fits well with this. Then the general practitioner and district nursing keep an eye on things, and sometimes a specialized palliative nurse too.

Support can also be available for other things besides care alone. People for psychological and spiritual support can help. Volunteers can keep company or watch overnight. This can sometimes give you, as a loved one, some rest. That is called respite care.

As a loved one, you often do a lot. Washing, dressing, and household tasks can become heavy. That is why it is good to discuss in time what is needed. You can do that with the general practitioner, the district nurse, and Mantelzorg Zoetermeer.

What do volunteers do in palliative care at home?

Volunteers can be present at home in the final phase of life. They offer time, attention, and practical support. Sometimes they stay for a few hours. Sometimes they help with watching over someone.

This gives you space to rest, sleep, do groceries, or step out for a while. The volunteer works alongside family and professional care. They do not take over medical treatment.

Their involvement is coordinated with what the patient, the caregiver, and professional care need. So ask in time what voluntary palliative support is available. Then you can also hear how quickly support can be provided.

When is Hospice Zoetermeer appropriate?

Hospice Zoetermeer is there for people in the terminal phase when staying at home is not appropriate or desirable. It is a warm, homely place. There is attention for the body, but also for feelings, contact, and meaning.

According to Zoetermeerwijzer, nurses and trained volunteers work together there. Admission requires a palliative indication from a general practitioner or medical specialist. Registration can be done by the patient or family. The general practitioner, hospital, or home care can also do this.

Admission can often happen quickly. Sometimes even within a day, if there is room. For current availability, costs, and visiting options, Hospice Zoetermeer can show the local organization.

Who helps arrange care and support?

At inZet and through independent client support, they think along with you for free about what is suitable. This can involve light respite care in the neighborhood, volunteers present at home, day care, and short-term stays.

Practical help for you or your loved one through the Wmo is requested via the municipal Wmo application route. For support in the neighborhood, Palet Welzijn and the local access desk can also help with voluntary support. There you can ask what support is available in your neighborhood.

What can you arrange for the night?

If care becomes more demanding at night, there are several options. For night care, a nurse comes by via district nursing or stays to keep watch. This helps if you cannot be available day and night.

If there is a long-term need for a lot of care, care at home can also be arranged through the Long-Term Care Act. Then this can be as a full package at home, a modular package at home, with a personal budget, or as a combination. Sometimes admission to an institution is more suitable and safer.

What is possible depends on the situation and the indication. Discuss this with the district nurse or the care office. If you feel overburdened, raise the alarm in time with Mantelzorg Zoetermeer.

What can you do now?

Discuss the options in time with your general practitioner and the district nurse. They can also help with the arrangements. If staying at home is no longer suitable, Hospice Zoetermeer may be a place.

Also ask about voluntary support. Volunteers can be present at home, help with watching over someone, and give you rest. At inZet and the local access desk, you can ask what help is available in your neighborhood.

If care at night becomes too heavy, discuss night care or other forms of care at home. Mantelzorg Zoetermeer can offer support if it becomes too much for you.