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How Hospice Can Help: Hospice Services
Hospice works side-by-side with physicians, hospital, and long-term care staff to provide a comprehensive plan of care focused on easing the physical, emotional and spiritual pain often accompanying a terminal illness.
While making no attempt to hasten death or prolong life, Hospice provides the services and support that can lessen the discomfort at the end of life. In order to receive Hospice services, a patient must be admitted to the program with a certification provided by their physician, based on certain admission criteria.
Hospice Services may include anything from skilled nursing care, pain management and symptom control to physical therapy, homemaker assistance and dietary or emotional counseling and more. Hospice care is delivered in a coordinated team approach and palliative treatment to reduce or eliminate symptoms and improve quality of life is determined in consultation with the attending physician.
Hospice manages the continuum of services across all settings. Hospice serves patients and families regardless of the residential setting.
The Hospice Team
The Hospice Team is made up of professionals (paid and volunteer) from a variety of disciplines. Specially trained volunteers work on the Hospice Team to meet the individual needs of terminally ill patients and their families and help them make the most of their time together. Some of the benefits for healthcare providers and patients they refer to hospice include:
- MD, RN and SW services, spiritual counseling, CNA and dietary counseling, available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Nurse aides and volunteers to provide assistance with daily living (ADL) activities.
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
- Hospice staff assistance in presenting Hospice services to patients and families.
- Hospice staff assistance with patient evaluation for program admission.
- Social workers available to assist with placement services and community resources.
- Bereavement Services for 13 months to family members after the loss.
- Grief and loss support groups (open to the public).
The Hospice Team will coordinate whatever individualized services or therapies are needed, when they are needed most. Once the Hospice Team has been engaged, patients and families are never alone. Hospice Nurses provide emergency on-call assistance 24-hours a day, every day of the year.
- Hospice Nurses provide individualized care focused on maintaining comfort and managing symptoms, along with education for caregivers to help reduce complications and enhance family support.
- Social Workers assist families in identifying their personal and community resources and developing support networks to aid in coping with a life-limiting illness.
- Certified Nurse Aides, under the supervision of the Hospice Nurse, provide patients with personal care and assistance with the activities of daily living (ADL's).
- Trained Volunteers offer assistance with the activities of daily living and friendly support, companionship and encouragement to patients and family members.
- Counselors offer emotional and spiritual support, along with bereavement services to family members throughout the first year after loss.
- Patient's Physician works with the Hospice Team to design a plan of care
- Hospice Nurse coordinates medical equipment, supplies and medications.
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