Hospice is a special kind of care for people in the last phase of an illness which can no longer be cured. Hospice care focuses on controlling symptoms so that the patient can be as comfortable and active as possible. It allows a person to remain at home and assists family members in providing care to their loved one through the help and guidance of a specially trained team of professionals and volunteers. Team members help with relieving physical symptoms, coping with feelings and stress, and meeting spiritual and social needs. In traditional care, the physician makes decisions based on medical need.
Hospice care focuses on the patent s comfort and wishes.
Both patient and family are involved in deciding what is needed and wanted. Under hospice, care is provided by a specially trained team of nurses, health care aides, social work counselors, chaplain and volunteers. This team works under the guidance of your primary physician and the hospice medical director. A hospice nurse is on call for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hospice team is there for family caregivers as well.