Home Hospice Companion Guide: The Complete Symptom Management and Comfort Care Handbook for Family Caregivers at the End of Life - Softcover

Kirste, David

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798186888109

Verlag: Independently published, 2026

Inhaltsangabe

Is this normal - or do I need to call the hospice nurse right now?

If you are caring for a loved one on hospice at home, you know that question by heart. It comes in the middle of the night, when breathing suddenly sounds different, when pain won't settle, or when confusion sets in at sunset. Home Hospice Companion Guide gives families and caregivers what they need most in those moments: clear, calm, practical steps that work alongside your hospice team.

This is not a medical textbook and not a short booklet about the dying process. It is a hands-on companion that walks you through the symptoms and situations you are most likely to face - one chapter at a time, with simple routines, timing guidance, red-flag warning signs, and common mistakes to avoid.

Inside, you will learn how to:

- Understand hospice eligibility and set clear goals of care with the Hospice Compass Model
- Know who does what on the hospice team - and who to call for what
- Keep medications safe with a simple one-page inventory and avoid dangerous mix-ups
- Assess pain without guessing, even when your loved one can't speak
- Prevent opioid constipation before it becomes miserable
- Ease breathlessness and air hunger with positioning, a fan, and well-timed medicine
- Calm evening agitation, delirium, and sundowning
- Manage nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration safely
- Protect fragile skin, prevent pressure injuries, and handle basic wound care
- Care for catheters, incontinence, dry mouth, thrush, and itching
- Offer food and sips safely when appetite fades and swallowing gets harder
- Respond calmly to terminal secretions with a "no-alarm" approach
- Recognize sepsis red flags and the signs that mean "call now"
- Build an emergency plan for breakthrough symptoms
- Prevent caregiver burnout, ease family conflict, and share night shifts
- Recognize the signs that death is near - and know the first steps afterward

Every chapter is built for real life at home: short checklists you can follow when you are exhausted, clear call thresholds, and 86 illustrations, diagrams, and one-page logs that make each step easy to understand at a glance. A plain-language glossary explains the medical terms you will hear from your hospice team.

Written for spouses, adult children, family members, and friends caring for someone with cancer, heart or lung disease, dementia, or any serious illness at home, this guide helps you replace fear with a plan - so you can spend less time guessing and more time being present with the person you love.

You don't have to know everything. You only need to know your next step. Scroll up and get your copy today.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Independently published
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2026
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 13: 9798186888109
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 385
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Printed by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.de/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxemburg