Hospice Care Techniques

Hospices assist individuals and their families as they cope with terminal illnesses.

When investigating the options for caring for a terminally ill patient, individuals might want to know more about hospice care. The U.S. National Library of Medicine says a hospice "responds to the needs and concerns of many dying people and their families." Before committing to hospice, patients and their families should investigate what kind of care they can get from a hospice.

Massage Therapy

Some hospice settings offer massage therapy to help patients manage their pain and symptoms. A massage therapist working in a hospice setting must ensure the massages do not over-stimulate the patient and that the patient's condition does not contraindicate a massage. The massage therapist must work in conjunction with the health care professionals to determine what kind of massage will give the most comfort to each patient. At some points, aromatherapy might accompany the therapy. The National Institute of Health cites studies showing that these treatments can help hospice patients sleep and reduce stress.

Pain Management

Many terminally ill individuals fear the expected pain that their condition might cause during their final days. Hospices have legal obligations to care for a patient's medical needs, including the need for pain management. The hospice medical staff might try to control a patient's pain through over-the-counter medications for as long as possible. When those medications no longer suffice, they might use narcotics, either in combination with other medications or on their own. In addition, options for pain-management pharmaceuticals can range from administrating the drugs orally to intravenously. Hospice philosophy promotes the goal of bringing comfort to the patient and relieving pain with whichever pain medications and at whatever level the patient needs.

Working with Families

Hospices recognize that a major part of working with dying patients involves working with the patients' families. Hospices involve family members in decision-making when the patient needs family support or when the patient cannot make decisions alone. Hospices provide psychological and spiritual counseling, and different types of therapies to the families of their patients. Hospices also work with the families as they learn to cope with their loved one's pain, fatigue and nausea.

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