In-Home End-of-Life Care in White Bear Lake and Chisago, MN

Comfort Keepers provides compassionate, non-medical end-of-life care for seniors, veterans and families in White Bear Lake, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Chisago City and surrounding Minnesota communities. Our caregivers work alongside hospice agencies, palliative care providers and medical professionals to help clients remain comfortable at home while giving families practical assistance, companionship and time together.

Comfort Keepers does not replace hospice or provide medical hospice treatment. We supplement the clinical services provided by hospice and other healthcare professionals with personal care, household assistance and caregiver support.

What Is In-Home End-of-Life Care?

In-home end-of-life care supports a person with a serious, advanced or terminal illness who wishes to remain at home. Care may include help with bathing, dressing, toileting, repositioning, meals, light housekeeping and companionship.

The purpose is to support comfort, dignity and the person’s stated wishes while reducing some of the daily responsibilities placed on family caregivers.

The National Institute on Aging explains that end-of-life care often addresses four areas: physical comfort, emotional needs, spiritual concerns and practical tasks. Families and caregivers also need support during this time. Learn more from the National Institute on Aging’s end-of-life care guide.

What Is the Difference Between End-of-Life, Palliative and Hospice Care?

These terms are related but do not mean exactly the same thing.

Hospice and palliative care professionals manage pain, symptoms, medications and other clinical needs. Comfort Keepers caregivers focus on authorized non-medical and private duty nursing services along with everyday support.

The National Institute on Aging provides additional information about hospice and palliative care.

How Comfort Keepers Works With Hospice

Hospice care is generally provided by an interdisciplinary team that may include physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, home health aides, and grief-support professionals. The hospice team develops and manages the clinical plan for the terminal illness.

With appropriate authorization, Comfort Keepers can coordinate with the client’s:

• Hospice agency
• Palliative care provider
• Physician or nurse practitioner
• Home health agency
• Private duty nurse
• Social worker
• Authorized family representative

Comfort Keepers caregivers follow the approved care plan and communicate important observations through established channels. Changes involving pain, breathing, swallowing, skin condition, consciousness, or other medical symptoms should be reported promptly to the hospice nurse or appropriate medical provider.

What Services Can an End-of-Life Caregiver Provide?

Services are personalized according to the client’s needs, preferences, medical guidance, and authorized care plan.

Personal Care and Comfort

• Bathing or bed-bath assistance
• Grooming and oral hygiene support
• Dressing and changing clothing
• Toileting and incontinence care
• Positioning and transfer assistance
• Changing bed linens
• Medication Administration and other nurse-delegated services under the Comfort Keepers Nurses' Direction
• Assistance maintaining a clean, comfortable environment

Positioning and transfer assistance are provided within the caregiver’s authorized responsibilities and according to instructions from the appropriate healthcare professional.

Meal and Household Assistance

• Preparing meals for the client and family
• Offering food and beverages when safe, desired and consistent with medical guidance
• Grocery shopping and errands
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry and linen changes
• Washing dishes
• Organizing commonly used supplies
• Caring for household pets as authorized

Loss of appetite and difficulty swallowing can occur near the end of life. Caregivers should follow guidance from the hospice or medical team and should never pressure a dying person to eat or drink.

Companionship and Emotional Presence

• Sitting quietly with the client
• Listening without judgment
• Reading aloud
• Playing familiar music
• Looking through photographs
• Helping the client communicate with family
• Providing respectful conversation
• Supporting a calm home environment
• Staying with the client while family members rest

A caregiver’s presence can provide reassurance, but Comfort Keepers caregivers do not provide professional counseling, spiritual direction or clinical mental-health treatment.

Helping Families Spend Meaningful Time Together

Families often want to focus on their loved one but find themselves occupied with laundry, meals, personal care and other practical responsibilities.

A Comfort Keepers caregiver can assist with these everyday tasks so family members may have more time to:

• Sit with their loved one
• Share stories and memories
• Play meaningful music
• Read, pray or observe personal traditions
• Welcome visitors
• Speak with hospice professionals
• Rest or sleep
• Spend time with children and other relatives

There is no single correct way for a family to experience the end of life. Our role is to respect the client’s preferences, cultural traditions, faith practices and family relationships.

End-of-Life Respite Care for Family Caregivers

Providing care at the end of life can be physically and emotionally exhausting. Family members may feel they need to remain at the bedside continuously, even when they have had little sleep.

Respite support allows a family caregiver to:

• Sleep or take a shower
• Attend a medical appointment
• Pick up prescriptions or groceries
• Spend time with other family members
• Speak privately with the hospice team
• Leave the home for a short period
• Attend to work or household responsibilities

Depending on the assessment and caregiver availability, support may be scheduled for periodic visits, daily shifts, overnight assistance, or continuous 24-hour shift care.

Learn more about our in-home respite care and awake 24-hour home care.

Awake 24-Hour Support at the End of Life

Some families need more assistance than periodic hospice and caregiver visits provide. Comfort Keepers may arrange a Dedicated Home Team with caregivers working rotating shifts so an awake caregiver is scheduled in the home throughout the day and night.

Depending on the care plan, around-the-clock support may include:

• Personal care and toileting
• Medication Administration and other nurse-delegated services under the Comfort Keepers Nurses' Direction
• Repositioning and mobility assistance
• Changing linens
• Preparing food for the client or family
• Maintaining a calm environment
• Companionship and bedside presence
• Contacting hospice when medical symptoms change
• Giving family caregivers time to sleep

Twenty-four-hour non-medical care does not replace hospice nursing, emergency services or other clinical care.

End-of-Life Support for Veterans

Veterans may be eligible for hospice, palliative care, homemaker or home health aide services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility, approved services, authorized hours, local availability and potential copayments are determined by the VA.

Comfort Keepers can explain the non-medical services we provide, but only the VA can determine eligibility and authorize VA-funded care. Families should speak with the veteran’s VA physician, social worker, or care coordinator about available programs.

Qualifying veterans or surviving spouses may also be eligible for pension-related Aid and Attendance benefits that can help offset eligible care expenses.

Learn more about Comfort Keepers home care for veterans.

Support Following the Death of a Loved One

Grief does not end when caregiving responsibilities end. Hospice agencies commonly offer bereavement services to family members following a client’s death.

The Comfort Keepers team can help families identify:

• Hospice bereavement programs
• Local grief-support groups
• Faith-community resources
• Community counseling services
• Information for surviving caregivers

Comfort Keepers does not provide professional grief counseling. Families experiencing persistent or severe grief, depression, or anxiety should contact an appropriate healthcare or mental-health professional.

Local End-of-Life Care in White Bear Lake and Chisago County

Comfort Keepers provides in-home end-of-life support throughout the northeast Twin Cities and Chisago County regions.

White Bear Lake Area

The White Bear Lake office serves:

• White Bear Lake
• Shoreview
• Vadnais Heights
• North Oaks
• Hugo
• Forest Lake
• Surrounding communities

White Bear Lake office
1310 Highway 96 E
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
651-789-0317

Chisago County Area

The Chisago City office serves:

• Chisago City
• Lindstrom
• Wyoming
• Stacy
• Forest Lake
• Surrounding Chisago County communities

Chisago City office
11185 Lake Boulevard
Chisago City, MN 55013
651-789-0317

Services depend on the assessment, requested schedule, location and caregiver availability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Comfort Keepers a hospice provider?

No. Comfort Keepers provides non-medical home care that can supplement hospice services. The hospice agency remains responsible for hospice nursing, medications, symptom management, medical equipment and the clinical hospice plan.

Can Comfort Keepers work with the hospice agency we already selected?

Yes. With the client’s authorization, the local care team can coordinate appropriate medical and non-medical services with the selected hospice agency and follow established communication procedures.

Does hospice provide a caregiver in the home 24 hours a day?

Hospice visit schedules and levels of care vary. Routine hospice services do not necessarily place a staff member in the home continuously. Families should ask their hospice agency what coverage is included. Comfort Keepers may provide additional non-medical shifts, including overnight or 24-hour care, based on assessment and availability.

Can caregivers administer pain medication?

Comfort Keepers caregivers can administer medication under the guidance of our Comfort Keepers Nurse.  if not under our nurse delegation, they can provide medication reminders rather than independently administering medications. Symptom management remains the responsibility of the client, authorized family members, hospice team, or appropriately licensed and delegated nursing professionals.

Can caregivers help someone eat or drink?

Caregivers may provide assistance when the person wants to eat or drink and doing so is consistent with medical guidance. Appetite loss and swallowing problems are common near the end of life, so caregivers should follow instructions from the hospice or medical team and never force food or fluids.

Can end-of-life care be provided overnight?

Yes. Overnight or continuous 24-hour shift care may be available following an assessment. An awake overnight caregiver can provide authorized personal care, companionship, and assistance while contacting hospice when medical concerns arise.

Is end-of-life home care covered by Medicare?

Medicare may cover eligible hospice services provided by a Medicare-approved hospice agency. It normally does not cover supplemental, ongoing non-medical home care from a separate home care agency. Families should ask the hospice provider and Medicare about covered services before assuming additional caregiver hours will be paid.

When should a family contact Comfort Keepers?

Families can contact Comfort Keepers when a serious illness begins creating additional personal care, household, supervision or family-caregiver needs. Beginning the conversation early gives the team more time to coordinate with hospice and develop an appropriate schedule.

Talk With a Local End-of-Life Care Coordinator

You do not have to manage every practical responsibility alone. Comfort Keepers can work alongside your chosen hospice, palliative care, or medical team to provide compassionate non-medical support based on your loved one’s needs and wishes.

Call 651-789-0317 to discuss in-home end-of-life care in White Bear Lake, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, Chisago City or a surrounding Minnesota community.

You may also contact Comfort Keepers online to request a complimentary consultation.