The Hospice Team/Hospice Services
Hospice care is provided by a team of professionals with the patient and his/her loved ones at the center of all decision making. A hospice team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual caregivers, grief counselors, hospice aides, volunteers, and therapists. Depending on the hospice care provider, additional therapies may be available, including music, pet, or massage therapy.
The hospice team's goal is to work with an individual and his/her loved ones to provide the care that matters most to a patient.
A hospice team works to:
- Provide care that relieves pain and symptoms. This care includes medication and physical, occupation, nutrition, and/or speech therapies.
- Respond to emergencies or questions 24/7.
- Offer counseling and spiritual support.
- Teach families and caregivers specific care techniques, such as turning, positioning and transferring, bathing and giving medications.
- Arrange for necessary equipment such as hospital beds, oxygen, bedside commodes and wheelchairs.
- Coordinate any additional help and special services needed in the home.
- Offer grief support, which may include writing letters, making telephone and personal contacts, counseling, or providing opportunities to share experiences in organized support groups.
- Provide information about hospice care settings outside the home, such as nursing homes or residential hospices.
- Provide or coordinate short-term inpatient care, or respite care, when a caregiver needs relief.
Family or loved ones play an important role on the hospice team by:
- providing a safe, comfortable environment
- alerting the rest of the hospice team of changes in the patient's condition
- providing personal care such as feeding, bathing, turning, and giving medications
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