American Hospice

Description

At American Hospice, we are very proud of the medically directed, team-oriented care that we provide to our patients. Each team member closely consults with the other professionals, maximizing their strengths as together they design a care plan for each patient and support for their families and loved ones. Assembled for each individual case, the team likely includes:

Physicians: The patient's own physician works with hospice physicians, who are specialists in controlling pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. They prescribe medications and other methods of pain and symptom control.

Nurses: Experts at determining the patient's individual needs and maintaining patient comfort, nurses frequently assess the patient. It is their continuing goal to help family members provide necessary support.

Certified Nurse Assistants and Home Health Aides: These essential team members provide personal care, helping the patient and family with activities of daily living as well as providing companionship and valuable emotional support.

Social Workers: With a wide variety of community resources at their fingertips, social workers can coordinate resources while helping the patient and family members ease emotional difficulties while planning for the future.

Chaplains and Spiritual Counselors: Patients and families sometimes need guidance with spiritual questions and concerns at the end of life, services that the family's spiritual counselors can coordinate.

Bereavement Coordinators: Both patients and families experience grief, and these coordinators can help in many ways. Grief support services continue for at least one year following the death of a loved one.

Volunteers: Invaluable and selfless, volunteers provide companionship and emotional support, and offer help in countless ways.