Hospice is a type of healthcare service that focuses on the quality of life for patients nearing the end of their lives. Hospice services can include in-home care, specialty care facilities, and hospital care.
The term hospice pertains to a huge array of end-of-life services designed to help both patients and their families. Hospice is used to make one of the most difficult times in a person’s life easier to handle in a variety of ways.
What does Hospice Care Do?
Hospice care mainly focuses on:
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Pain management
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Reducing pain and suffering
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Emotional needs
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Spiritual needs
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Meeting the needs of both the patient and their family
Each of these areas is very broad and contains a plethora of healthcare and non-healthcare services. This is why hospice care can be so valuable–patients and families dealing with the stress of an end-of-life process have someone to turn to for answers and guidance.
What is an Interdisciplinary Team?
An interdisciplinary team is, quite simply, a team with expertise in many disciplines. In hospice care, an interdisciplinary team is comprised of individuals with expertise and experience concerning end-of-life care steps, procedures, and methodology.
Hospice Interdisciplinary Teams
Hospice interdisciplinary teams usually consist of:
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Registered Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses
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A doctor
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Certified Home Health Aides
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Licensed Social Workers
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Certified Spiritual Care Coordinators
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Certified Bereavement Counselors
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Volunteers
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Hospice Medical Director
What are Hospice Volunteers?
Hospice volunteers are special volunteers trained in hospice who want to provide companionship for patients and their families. Volunteers are very important parts of hospice teams. They are able to perform a wide range of services for a patient or a patient’s family.
Many services offered by hospice volunteers include the more social elements of hospice care. Volunteers can help patients with a craft or puzzle, paint their nails, simply be with them as a friend, and many other services.
While this sounds like just ‘being there,’ hospice volunteers are not ordinary volunteers. Hospice volunteers require some training to help with patient needs. These requirements include:
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TB test
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Orientation
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Copy of DL, SS, and Car Insurance
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Background Check
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Charting
Hospice service providers will be able to provide information on any hospice volunteer who may be able to help with your needs. This is not a stranger coming into your home or life. It is a volunteer who has been screened by your hospice care provider and is deemed exceptional at helping patients with end-of-life needs.
Charlin Hospice Services
At Charlin Health Services, we pride ourselves on honor, integrity, excellence, compassion, dignity, and trust. Our Interdisciplinary Hospice Team functions as a family unit to assist each patient and their loved ones during this journey of life. Each member of any Charlin Hospice team can be reached anytime seven days a week.
If you have any needs or questions about hospice care, health services, or other medical needs, please send us an email or give us a call.
