How We Serve

You will be assigned a primary nurse care coordinator who will coordinate your care with other members of the hospice team to handle any nursing needs. The role of the nurse is to try to anticipate your care needs and to help prevent and relieve pain and other symptoms. The nurse will assist in monitoring medications and will order necessary medical supplies and equipment. Regular nursing communication with your physician will make certain that your physician is aware of your status and that medical orders are being followed. Your hospice nurse will educate you to help better understand the natural progression of your illness and will work closely with your caregivers to teach them how to provide your care.

Your attending physician, hospice medical director, or nurse practitioner is responsible for the palliation and management of your terminal illness and any conditions related to the terminal illness. If your attending physician is not available, the hospice medical director or hospice nurse practitioner is responsible for meeting your medical needs. Your attending physician will be given the option to manage your care or relinquish this management to the Hospice Medical Director.

Services that may be provided by the social worker include: providing emotional support, counseling, guidance to you and your family in coping with stress related to the illness, identifying community resources that are available to help you, assisting you and your family with planning for funeral arrangements, offering information about advance directives, coordinating bereavement care, respite, and memory making activities.

Our hospice aide services are provided to patients who have a need for personal care. on a part-time basis. Our hospice aides have experience in caring for people with life limiting illness’ and have been carefully chosen to provide care for the hospice patient. The hospice aide assists with the patient’s personal care which may include bathing, hair care, shaving, skin care, changing linens, catheter care, oral care, nail care, dressing, or straightening of the patient’s immediate surroundings. Hospice aides are not able to educate or give advice about medications. They will report any changes in the patient’s condition to the appropriate nurse.

Services are provided by a licensed therapist or licensed therapy assistant under the direction of the therapist. Therapy services may be provided only as reasonable and necessary for symptom control or to enable you to maintain safety with activities of daily living and basic functional skills in accordance with the hospice philosophy. These services must be approved by the Hospice Interdisciplinary Group, (IDG) and may not be appropriate for all hospice patients.

Our hospice volunteers undergo extensive training prior to taking on assignments. The program is designed to offer companionship and socialization to the patient and family. Hospice volunteers are available for a variety of requests including reading to the patient, playing music, writing journals or letters, recording memories, or simply be a silent presence. They can offer a chance for the caregiver or family to leave the home, have lunch with a friend, run errands, or simply stay home to take a leisurely bath, or nap. Volunteers are not able to assist with personal cares or medications.

Hospice spiritual care is based on a high respect for patients’ and caregivers’ personal faith and belief. The hospice chaplain is available to assist patients and families to cope with spiritual issues that often arise during terminal illness. The services offered include regular pastoral care visits, availability for crises, conducting funerals, and memorial services as requested, and contacting a patient’s own clergy, pastoral counselor, or other individuals for support, if desired. The hospice chaplain does not impose his/her personal belief systems or seek to change the beliefs of others.

Hospice may refer other disciplines such as dietary counseling, massage therapy, or music therapy as needed.