190 Comfort Measures in the Hospital: What They Mean and How They Help

190 Comfort Measures in the Hospital: What They Mean and How They Help Host Marie Betcher, a registered nurse and former hospice nurse, explains what "comfort measures" mean when offered during a hospital stay. Comfort measures begin when curative care stops and the focus shifts to relieving discomfort, pain, and distress for patients nearing end of life through appropriate medications and bedside care. She notes that comfort measures are not a full care program and lack the added support hospice can provide, but they are still valuable, especially when hospice is not offered or available due to insurance or location. Marie encourages families to participate at the bedside, report symptoms such as anxiety or shortness of breath, and expect fewer disruptions, limited transports and procedures, and a calmer environment. She also mentions hospice or palliative care as options depending on eligibility and time. 00:00 Welcome and Disclaimer 00:29 Meet Your Host 00:42 What Comfort Measures Mean 01:12 Comfort Measures vs Hospice 01:51 How Families Can Help 02:20 Creating a Calm Hospital Room 03:01 When to Choose Hospice 03:43 Palliative Care Option 04:15 Closing and Subscribe If you want to help, you can donate to help support Hospice Explained at the Buy me a Coffee link   https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Hospice  Hospice Explained Affiliates & Contact Information Buying from these Affilite links will help support this Podcast.  Maire introduces a partnership with Suzanne Mayer RN inventor of the  cloud9caresystem.com,  When patients remain in the same position for extended periods, they are at high risk of developing pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores. One of the biggest challenges caregivers face is the tendency for pillows and repositioning inserts to easily dislodge during care.(Suzanne is a former guest on Episode #119) When you order with Cloud 9 care system, please tell them you heard about them from Hospice Explained.(Thank You) Marie's Contact [email protected] www.HospiceExplained.com   Finding a Hospice Agency 1. You can use Medicare.gov to help find a hospice agency, 2. choose Find provider 3. Choose Hospice 4. then add your zip code This should be a list of Hospice Agencies local to you or your loved one.