Hospice care - how it is working.

How does hospice care work?
Typically, a loved one serves as the primary caregiver and, when appropriate, helps make decisions for the terminally ill individual. Members of the hospice staff make regular visits to assess the  patient and provide additional care or other services. Hospice staff are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The hospice team develops a care plan that focuses on the patient’s well-being and the need for pain management and symptom control. The plan outlines the medical and support services required such as nursing care, personal care (dressing, bathing, etc.), social
services, physician visits, counseling, and homemaker services. It also identifies the medical equipment, tests, procedures, medication and treatments necessary to provide high-quality comfort care.

The hospice team usually consists of:
• The patient’s family/caregiver;
• The patient’s personal physician;
• Hospice physician (or medical director);
• Nurses;
• Home health aides;
• Social workers;
• Clergy or other counselors;
• Trained volunteers; and
• Speech, physical, and occupational therapists, if needed

For more information on how to select a hospice program, see the National Hospice Foundation’s brochure, “Hospice Care: A Consumer’s Guide to Selecting a Hospice Program.”