General Information
Hospice includes the services of an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals:
- Physicians - Our Medical Directors work with your personal physician to build a comprehensive team of medical professionals who specialize in controlling pain and other symptoms of serious illness. Working together, our team develops a plan of care that is right for each patient's individual situation and needs.
- Nurses - nurses are experts at managing the needs of each patient and can serve as a valuable resource in educating family members on how to assist in caring for their loved one. Our specially trained and experienced nurses develop and manage a specialized plan of care for each patient, focusing on the patient's individual needs and providing compassionate support to the entire family.
- Certified Nurse Assistants & Home Health Aides - These members of the team provide personal care and help the patient and family with activities of daily living. They also provide companionship and valuable emotional support.
- Social Workers - Our team of social workers coordinates community resources and helps the patient and family with non-medical concerns. The social workers can help comfort and give support to family members, plan for the future, assist with making financial arrangements and ease other emotional difficulties.
- Chaplains - These individuals work to help patients and families cope with spiritual questions and concerns, either directly or by coordinating services with the patient's and family's spiritual counselors.
- Bereavement - Our counselors offer support and education throughout the grief process including individual meetings and grief support groups.
- Volunteers - These team members provide companionship and emotional support and offer help in a variety of ways.
- Hospice also provides medications, medical equipment and supplies necessary to promote comfort at home or in other hospice settings. Hospice staff are available at all times, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Hospice is different from other medical care
Hospice is focused on all of the patient's and family's needs. A coordinated team of hospice professionals, assisted by volunteers, works to meet the patient's and family's emotional and spiritual needs, along with the patient's physical needs.
The emphasis is on controlling pain and symptoms through the most advanced techniques available and on emotional and spiritual support tailored to the needs of the patient and family.
Hospice recognizes that a serious illness affects the entire family as well as the person who is ill. The family, not just the patient, is the "unit of care" for hospice professionals.
The different levels of hospice include:
- Routine Home Care - We believe in bringing care to wherever you call home, and we strive to provide an environment of care that is comfortable for our patients and their families. Often, this means providing care in the patient's own home, and our team of professionals schedule regular home visits to ensure that medical, social, and emotional needs are met.
- Inpatient Care - If pain or symptoms cannot be controlled at home, the patient might be taken to a hospital or other inpatient care center. When the symptoms are under control, the patient can return home.
- Respite Care - Many patients have their own caregivers, often family members. When caregivers need a rest from their care giving responsibilities, patients can stay in a hospital or other inpatient care center for up to five days.
- Continuous Care - Sometimes a patient has a medical crisis that needs close medical attention. When this happens, we can arrange for inpatient care, or staff can provide round-the-clock care in the home. When the crisis is over, the patient can return to routine care in the home.
Care Setting
Care is provided in a setting that best suits the needs of the patient and caregivers. Care may be provided at home, in an inpatient facility or a combination of places.