The Hospice Team
A full range of hospice services could never be provided by one caring individual. Instead, a team of trained and dedicated staff and volunteers work together to meet the varied and ever-changing needs of the Hospice patient and their family. Each team member brings their own special talents, skills, experience, and personal style of caring to the support network.
- Primary Care Giver
- This person is the most important team member. All hospice services are built around, and are intended to be supportive of the primary care giver. The primary care giver, a non-hospice person designated by the family or patient, will be responsible for the day-to-day care of the terminally ill individual.
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- Nurse
- Our nurses are specialists in hospice care. Each patient is assigned a primary nurse who will educate the patient
and family about the disease process as well as symptom management. She/he will visit as often as needed to assist with any problem that may arise, and will be available to answer questions on the telephone. A nurse is available by telephone 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
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- Home Health Aide
- The Home Health Aide is also specially trained in hospice care. This person will visit as often as necessary to ensure that the patient has quality personal care such as: bathing, shampooing, shaving, oral hygiene, nail care and linen changes.
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- Homemaker
- A homemaker can assist with light housekeeping, laundry or meal preparation.
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- Social Worker
- A social worker
is available as a consultant for individual or family emotional issues or to assist in the utilization of community resources, and to answer questions concerning financial matters, insurance forms, funeral arrangements, or placement in a care facility. Each patient is assigned a professional social worker who provides counseling and emotional support for the patient, family and their caregivers. The social worker may also assist as a liaison with community resources and by addressing care giving and end of life issues such as Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and funeral arrangements.
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- The Volunteer
- Our volunteers serve much the same role as a good, kind, and reliable friend. Each volunteer has been carefully screened and receives a course of special training before being placed with a family. Our volunteers are able to cope with the realities of terminal illness and are capable of assisting the patient and family through this difficult time. The volunteer serves as a "helper" to the family, and can take on such responsibilities as: running errands, reading to the patient, talking/listening to the patient and family about their concerns, staying with the patient to allow family members necessary respite time, and many other tasks which help the patient and family feel supported.
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- Bereavement Counselor
- The needs and concerns of family members of hospice patients are very important to Hospice of the North Coast. When the patient dies, the services continues. The Bereavement Counselors maintain regular contact with the family for 13 months or as needed. Bereavement services, like all other hospice services, are matched to the special needs of each family. Family members are never charged for these services. The Bereavement Program includes such services as: individual and family counseling, child, adolescent and teen support counseling. Educational materials and supportive literature are sent to each family member monthly for 13 months. There are a variety of grief educational support groups and counseling, including Camp HOPE, our annual weekend family retreat.
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- Spiritual Counselor
- Hospice provides spiritual and personal counseling in accordance with the family's wishes and religious preferences. If requested, the Chaplain will attempt to unite the family with an appropriate clergy person or congregation in their community in order to create a broader range of support for the patient and family members. Chaplains are available to assist with funerals and memorial services, religious rites, etc.
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- Other Team Members
- The Hospice
Medical Director in conjunction with the patient's attending physician oversees and coordinates all aspects of hospice medical care. If appropriate, the Hospice Interdisciplinary Team will provide the services of a physical therapist, occupational therapist, dietician or other appropriate health care providers.
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