The hospice care team relieves many of the physical, emotional and spiritual
burdens associated with terminal illness and provides comfort and dignity
to each day spent together.
Each patient’s care is supervised by the medical director and carried
out by specially trained hospice care team members. This team works closely
with patients and family members to provide meaningful end-of-life care
and support.
The home care and hospice team has more than 40 years of combined expertise
working with patients and their families. The team consists of the following
highly skilled professionals:
A physician who serves as medical director
Physical, occupational and speech therapists
Nurses
Medical social workers
Home health aides
Dietitians
Skilled Nurses
By providing expert management of pain and other symptoms combined with
compassionate listening and counseling skills, hospice nurses promote
the highest quality of life for the patient and family. Available 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, the hospice nurse is there to support the patient
and family by anticipating and meeting their needs as it relates to their
terminal illness.
Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists
Specialized therapists help to improve the quality of everyday life with
therapies when needed.
The focus of therapy may include:
Patient fall safety
Pain management
Communication techniques
Assessing safety related to swallowing
Maintaining current functional levels for as long as possible
Social Workers
Social workers assess patient/family social and emotional factors in order
to estimate their potential to cope with the terminal illness and subsequent
death. They also provide psychosocial counseling and support to the patient/family
experiencing emotional, social and economic conflict. They assist the
patient/family and staff in utilizing community resources by assessing
the patient/family’s financial and insurance status and identifying
appropriate resources.
Hospice Home Health Aides
Aides work with the patient and family to provide personal care to the
patient in a compassionate and understanding manner consistent with the
goals and needs of the patient.
Dietitian
Dietitians conduct nutritional assessments and recommend an appropriate
nourishment plan to meet the needs of the hospice patient. The hospice
dietitians also provide education and consultation to the interdisciplinary
group regarding palliative nutrition.
Those More Specific to Hospice Include the Above as Well As:
Hospice-trained volunteers
Spiritual Care Counselors
Bereavement coordinators
Hospice-Trained Volunteers
Volunteers provide a support system for caregivers by visiting the patient
or helping the patient and family members with errands. Hospice volunteers
provide direct and indirect patient care including respite and social
visits, clerical duties and help with special projects.
To learn more about becoming a hospital volunteer, call the Volunteer Coordinator,
724-689-1800.
Spiritual Care Counselors
Hospice is generally intended to encompass care for the “whole person.”
Spiritual care counselors are trained to support medical care from a spiritual
and emotional perspective, helping the patient and family as requested.
Bereavement Counselors
These professionals work to inform, support and guide patients and families
through the grief process before, at the time of, and after the death
of a loved one. They also work to anticipate and respond to community
education and supportive needs related to bereavement.
