Programs may range from volunteer hospices that rely heavily on professional and lay volunteers to organizations that provide comprehensive palliative and support services through employees and lay volunteers. Although the patient's primary physician usually refers to hospice, referrals can also be made by family members, friends, clergy or health professionals. The team is a group of hospice staff members who coordinate efforts on behalf of the patient and family. The plan of care is an outline of the care the hospice interdisciplinary team perceives as necessary to meet the needs of patients and families. It contains the plan the team develops to manage the patient's pain and symptoms, and also outlines plans for meeting the psychological, social and spiritual needs of the patient and family.
Hospice views the patient and family as a unit of care.
Family members and friends are encouraged to participate in the patient's care as much as possible. When family members cannot provide as much care as may be needed at certain times, hospice personnel will try to meet the patient's needs by exploring other options. In this situation the hospice team attempts to identify and train the patient's neighbors, friends or other community volunteers so that they can work with the hospice team. The patient's personal physician often refers the patient to the hospice program and usually either continues to plan most of the patient's care or works in coordination with the hospice team, which includes a physician. The hospice physician reviews the patient's diagnosis and status, prescribes medications and pain relief treatment, participates in patient care conferences, and provides overall medical supervision in cooperation with or in lieu of the patient's primary physician.