The Hospice Care Team

Hospice nurses are skilled in assessing and managing a patient’s pain and symptoms. They are trained caregivers who provide hands-on patient care. Skilled listeners, hospice nurses comfort the family while also teaching them how to take the best care of their loved one.

Every patient in in-home hospice is under the care of a hospice physician who closely monitors the progression of the patient’s illness, prescribes appropriate medications and coordinates care with other members of the team. Hospice physicians invite a patient’s preferred physician to stay as involved as they wish in the care plan.

Hospice aides are certified nursing assistants who provide personal care to the patient, such as bathing, dressing or mouth care. They are available to ease the burden on family caregivers by participating in activities such as light housekeeping.

Hospice social workers provide emotional and psychosocial support to the patient and family. They coordinate the logistics of the patient’s care, working with insurance companies or the Veterans Administration and helping with finances, funeral planning or other tasks. Social workers are always available to lend a friendly and listening ear.

Regardless of a person’s beliefs or religious traditions, hospice chaplains are available to address the spiritual issues that often arise as a patient nears death. The hospice chaplain is there for the patient and the family, honoring and supporting the cultural traditions and values they hold dear. When requested, the hospice chaplain works with the patient’s specified clergy.

Hospice volunteers are specially trained in hospice care and end-of-life issues to provide compassionate companionship and support for patients and families. Volunteers are an important part of the hospice team. Their duties can range from visiting patients to crafting patient items to documenting patients’ life stories to helping in the office.

The bereavement coordinators address both anticipatory grief and loss after death. Hospice patients’ families receive bereavement support up to 13 months after a death, including consistent contact, support groups, grief education and one-on-one visits. Bereavement support is always available to those who have experienced the death of a loved one.