Using Hospice
You or your loved one is now under hospice care. Here are some helpful tips on caregiving, support, planning, and what you should expect.
Tools for Caregivers
Visit Hospice Foundation of America’s Are You a Caregiver section for tools, readings and helpful links.
Read the Caregiver's Handbook. This is a 9-part online posting which provides suggestions for personal, nutrition, medical, emotional care.
Read HFA’s article, Caring for Someone Who is Dying.
Tools for Friends and Family
Order HFA’s brochure, Supporting Your Friend through Illness & Loss
Planning for the End of Life
A Caregiver's Guide to the Dying Process
Many people who are caring for a terminally ill person have never done it before. This guide prepares caregivers by discussing both the physical symptoms of dying and the psychological issues that accompany the dying process. It may also be used by hospices and other end-of-life organizations as a helpful training aid for staff and volunteers.
Signs of Approaching Death
Sometimes caregivers do not know how to tell when their patient or loved one is dying. But patients often tend to show specific symptoms when they are nearing death. This handout describes many of these symptoms.
Every person is different, and the paths to death will vary. If you would like more information, HFA offers a special section that describes a general picture of what to expect before, during, and after the dying process.
