Hospice care is provided by a team of professionals who have specialized knowledge about end of life care. The care is centered around the patient who can pick and choose what services they want or need.
What makes hospice care unique is that the hospice team spends time with the person and family to understand how they want to be treated. The whole person is cared for including their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
Our expert team also assists family members with managing the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a loved one during the final stage of their life. Hospice is provided wherever the patient lives-in their own home, a long term care or assisted living facility or at our Serenity House. On-call service is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Our Team Includes:
Medical Director
Assumes overall responsibility for the medical care of the hospice patients and ensures that the medical needs of the patient are being met. The medical director reviews the plan of care and medications at hospice meetings and is available for consultation. This does not replace your primary care physician.
Primary Care Physician
Continues to provide routine medical support and care, including ordering medications and treatments.
Nurse
Makes regular visits to ensure that the caregivers or family have what they need to provide comfort care and also assists in writing a plan of care that gives direction to the rest of the team. The nurse provides specialized skilled nursing care, medical treatments, and education for the patient and family. A nurse is on-call 24 hours a day to handle questions, problems, or emergencies.
Hospice aide
Gives personal care and assistance with activities of daily living according to the patient’s needs under direction of the registered nurse (RN). These services consist of assistance with moving or walking, bathing, treatments at the direction of the RN, and reporting any change in the patient’s condition and needs to the nurse.
Social Worker
Can make visits and help patients and families in the following areas: Identifying community resources, advice concerning financial problems, assistance with completion of Advance Directives, scheduling volunteers, or counseling patients and or families concerning end of life issues or need for emotional support.
Volunteers
A non-paid hospice trained “friend” who helps in a variety of ways, for example: companionship/support, shopping, errands, transportation, light housekeeping, meal preparation, child care, assist with feeding, back rubs/massages, relaxation techniques and breaks for the family.
Chaplain
Available to help as desired and will be offered to all patients on admission. Spiritual support is provided in keeping with the patient/family beliefs and is not meant to take the place of your own minister.
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy service is part of Hospice Touch’s holistic approach to end of life comfort care. For many patients, Massage Therapy helps to manage pain, reduce stress/anxiety and improve sleep.
Contact our office at 608-374-0250, for more information about our Hospice Team.