Nursing Home Program
Why hospice care in a nursing home?
The Center For Hope Hospice & Palliative Care recognizes the nursing
home as the patient's home; therefore,
it believes that each patient residing in a nursing home is entitled to the same hospice care benefits as home care patients. The program is designed to enhance the quality of care by offering additional support systems to the existing services of the nursing home. In essence, the hospice staff and volunteers are joining the team of the nursing home staff.
Hospice care is about increasing an individual's quality
of life by providing physical, emotional, and spiritual support to patients
and their families as they face the challenges associated with a life-limiting
illness. Together, the hospice team's expertise in pain management and symptom
control, along with the long-term care expertise of the nursing home staff,
creates a comprehensive support team to best serve the needs of the
patients.
What services are available through hospice care?
An interdisciplinary team comprised of physicians,
nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, home health aides and volunteers works with the nursing home staff to provide care as designated by the plan of care. Hospice physicians are available for consultation to the attending physician who will continue to direct the patient's care.
Core services available as stipulated in the plan
of care can include:
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Nursing visits: to provide physical care
and education regarding symptom control, comfort measures, and pain
management.
-
Social work visits: to address issues of
psychosocial stress and to provide information and linkage regarding available
community resources.
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Spiritual visits: to provide spiritual support
specific to the dying process.
-
Home health aide visits: to assist patients
with activities of daily living.
-
Volunteer visits: to promote patient comfort
and companionship.
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Bereavement counseling: individual and group
counseling for surviving family and friends.
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