Will your patients and their caregivers have the knowledge and experience to have a positive home hospice experience? Caregiving in-home hospice can be a complicated journey filled with challenges and surprises. Navigating the caregiving and coordination activities takes knowledge and resources.
Home Hospice Navigation: The Caregiver’s Guide is a practical and comprehensive handbook that grew out of Judith Sands’ experiences as her mother’s caregiver. The book is designed to help caregivers effectively manage the hospice journey, from that crucial conversation about whether to begin hospice care and to select a provider to leveraging the care team, managing in-home care, and saying goodbye. Home Hospice Navigation is full of tips for when and how to advocate for a loved one as well as with caregiver support strategies and personal notes. There are extensive “helpful hints” and resources throughout the book. The clear, organized, comprehensive roadmap for navigating the healthcare maze provides an accessible description of what the caregiver needs to engage supportive care through hospice and to interact with and manage the activities in the final phase of life.
“End-of-life care is rife with cultural, social, and faith-based connotations and expectations, personal biases, and fears,” says Ms. Sands. “Care-related challenges abound for the loved one, the family, and significant others. Everyone has a set of expectations, and often they are unclear or in conflict with those involved in the care process. Navigating through the unknowns before issues and concerns become problems is critical for successful caregiving.”
Despite extensive professional clinical knowledge and experiences, Ms. Sands faced challenges along the hospice caregiving journey. A driving force behind the book was her desire for all caregivers to have the information and support they need to have a positive home hospice experience.
Judith Sands, RN, MSL, BSN, CPHRM, CPHQ, CCM, LHRM, ARM has over 30 years of experience as a healthcare professional and is a recognized authority in the areas of care coordination, quality, risk management, and patient safety. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida and a Master of Science in Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Judith is a registered nurse, holding state and national certifications in case, quality, and risk management. Ms. Sands has been a speaker at various local and national conferences. Her current focus is on ensuring patient safety, care coordination, and bringing dignity to end-of-life care.