"The comfort of home and family at the end of life means sharing the heartache."
VHS provides assistance, comfort and support to families and individuals at the end of an incurable disease to strengthen and improve the quality of life. This might be terminal cancer, HIV/AIDS, or advanced stages of frailty or old age.
This end-of-life care is meant to:
This end-of-life care is meant to:
- Enhance the quality of life for the person and their family
- Keep the person at home among family, friends, and familiar surroundings.
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve comfort
As a team, the Registered Nurses and specially trained and professionally supervised New Jersey Board of Nursing, Certified Home Health Aides is available to help with:
- Coordination of needed community services (development of an individualized Plan of Care, follow-up with doctors and other health professionals, monitoring of condition, and linking of other needed services)
- Personal Care (Certified Home Health Aide to assist with personal hygiene activities, such as bathing and grooming)
- Household management (light housekeeping, laundry, meals, and linen change)
- Shopping and Errands (food shopping, post office, pharmacy, and cleaners)
- Assistance with prescribed exercises
- Chore Services (heavy housecleaning to return the home environment to a safe, healthy condition)
As always VHS keeps the care it provides in strict confidence. All arrangements and services are provided in the privacy of the home.
Why is Comforting Care needed?
At the end of a loved one’s life the family is under considerable stress and can become easily overwhelmed physically and psychologically. Having an experienced caregiver handle the routine caregiving responsibilities allows the family to attend to the emotional support needed at this critical time. Knowing that someone else cares and can help support the family through this difficult time is valuable to the comfort and quality of life for the loved one with an irreversible illness.
When is Comforting Care needed?
- When you feel burdened and need some relief from the constant responsibilities of caregiving.
- When you feel alone or isolated as a result of the stress associated with caring for a loved one.
- When you make the decision to keep the loved at home.
For those suffering from HIV/AIDS disease, VHS participates in the Ryan White program, and is a member of the HIV Planning Council.
