Home Hospice Companion Guide (Paperback)

Paperback. You're caring for someone you love at home, and every hour brings a new question: Is this normal? Should I call someone? Am I doing this right? This guide exists so you never have to guess alone in the middle of the night again. Home Hospice Companion Guide is a complete, plain-language handbook built for family caregivers managing real symptoms in a real home, not a hospital. Instead of vague reassurance, you get clear step-by-step protocols for the moments that scare families most: unmanaged pain, breathlessness, agitation, nausea, skin breakdown, and the final days. Inside, you will learn how hospice actually works, who does what on your care team, how to build a safe medication routine, and how to recognize the difference between an expected change and a true emergency. Every chapter gives you a simple framework you can use at the bedside, plus a clear answer to the question every caregiver eventually asks: when do I call for help right now? What this guide covers, chapter by chapter: 1. Introduction2. Hospice Eligibility and Goals3. Hospice Team Roles at Home4. Medication Reconciliation for Hospice5. Pain Assessment Without Guessing6. Opioid Safety and Constipation Prevention7. Breathlessness and Oxygen Use8. Agitation, Delirium, and Sundowning9. Nausea Control With Hospice Meds10. Vomiting Safety and Aspiration Prevention11. Diarrhea Management and Dehydration Watch12. Swelling, Edema, and Fluid Balance13. Skin Care for Fragile, Elderly Skin14. Pressure Injury Prevention and Turning15. Wound Care Basics for Home Hospice16. Urinary Retention and Comfort Catheter Care17. Incontinence Care and Skin Protection18. Constipation Protocol for Hospice Patients19. Fever, Infections, and Comfort Decisions20. Sepsis Red Flags for Home Care21. Oral Care for Dry Mouth and Thrush22. Terminal Secretions and the No-Alarm Approach23. Itching, Rash, and Itch-Scratch Breakers24. Sleep Hygiene for Hospice Nights25. Fatigue and Energy Conservation Strategies26. Nutrition When Appetite Is Low27. Hydration Strategies and Sips That Help28. Swallowing Difficulties and Choking Prevention29. Managing Mouth Breathing and Air Hunger30. Handling Falls Risk and Safe Transfers31. Home Safety for Oxygen and Meds32. Managing Anxiety With Comfort Communication33. Caregiver Stress and Burnout Prevention34. Family Conflict Scripts During Hospice35. Managing Sleep for Multiple Caregivers36. Symptom Tracking With a One-Page Log37. When to Call the Hospice Nurse Immediately38. Emergency Medication Plan for Breakthrough Symptoms39. Preparing the Home for End-of-Life Changes40. Signs of Imminent Death and What to Expect41. After-Death Checklist and Grief First Steps42. Final Thoughts Each chapter follows the same practical rhythm: a real caregiving scenario, a simple named framework you can remember under pressure, a step-by-step protocol with timing, common mistakes families make, and a clear signal for when to call the hospice team instead of waiting. This guide is for adult children, spouses, and family caregivers navigating home hospice for the first time, for anyone who has felt overwhelmed by medication schedules and unclear instructions, and for caregivers who want one steady reference instead of scattered pamphlets. It is written to sit beside you at the kitchen table, not to replace your hospice team. If you are ready to feel steadier, more prepared, and less alone in this season, get your copy of Home Hospice Companion Guide today and turn uncertainty into a plan you can actually follow. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. …