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Nursing Services
Home Health Aides
Counseling & Social Services
Spiritual Support
Trained Volunteers
Our Team Approach back
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Hospice By The Bay's approach to care involves collaboration between a compassionate team of skilled professionals, the patient's physician, the hospice medical director, the patient, family members and caregivers. Patient choices about care are respected. Every patient and family receives services from a dedicated team of experienced individuals who plan and provide care with guidance from the patient's physician based on the individual needs of the patient and family.
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 services and support required such as nursing care, personal care (dressing, bathing, etc.), social services, physician visits, counseling, and home health aide services. It also identifies the medical equipment, medication and treatments necessary to maximize comfort and quality of life.
The hospice team typically consists of:
- The patient's family/caregiver
- The patient's personal physician
- Hospice physician (or medical director)
- Primary nurse
- Home health aides
- Social workers
- Spiritual counselors
- Trained volunteers
- Speech, physical, occupational, and nutritional therapists, if needed
- Bereavement counselors
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" or visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's web site at www.nhpco.org .
Nursing Services back
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A registered nurse from the team is assigned as the primary nurse for every patient/family admitted to the Hospice program. This nurse is the person responsible for overseeing all aspects of hospice care, and will arrange for regular nursing visits to assess the patient's general condition, use of medications, level of comfort and any ongoing symptoms the patient experiences. Hospice nurses are especially trained in symptom control measures and other issues unique to people facing a life-threatening illness. The nurse will be in regular contact with the patient's personal physician to provide information on the patient's progress, effects of medications and need for additional services. S/he may assist with any of the following:
- Pain control and use of pain medication
- Side effects from medication
- Other symptoms
- Nutrition
- Ordering medical equipment, supplies and medications
- Practical instructions for caregivers and help with personal care
- Planning for increasing needs
- Caregiver respite needs
- Coordinating care for residents in long-term care facilities
- Understanding the disease process
After-hours nursing services are available to assist patients and families with problems or questions during evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
Home Health Aides back
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Hospice By The Bay's home health aides are available to assist with personal care needs. Their visits are typically scheduled between the hours of 9:00AM and 3:30PM. Home health aides may help in the following ways:
- Assist with or provide a bed bath
- Provide support for safety during tub bathing or showering
- Assist with toileting needs
- Teach the patient and caregivers about personal care and the safe use of equipment and supplies
- Change bed linens and launder sheets as needed
- Straighten up the patient's living area
- Prepare small meals or help with feeding
- Assist with ambulation and dressing
- Skin and comfort care
Home health aide visits are scheduled to meet the care recommendations made by the patient's primary nurse. Patients can work directly with their primary nurse to readjust visit frequencies if needs change.
Counseling & Social Services back
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Hospice By The Bay's social workers assist patients and their loved ones in dealing with the stress and changes confronting them. They can assist in the following ways:
- Initial Meeting
A social worker will call to set up a time to meet with the patient and their loved ones. It is a good idea to include in this meeting all the people who are closely involved and likely to be affected by the changes taking place. We will schedule a visit that works for everyone and will focus on the issues that the patient and their loved ones identify as important.
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Education
- Understanding how to use Hospice By The Bay’s services
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- Information about the probable emotional reactions during this time
- Options for coping with difficult emotions and stress
- Legal and financial choices and resources
- Home care resources
- Community agencies
- Information about funeral planning and memorial services
- Information about grief and available bereavement services
Counseling
- Coping with illness and treatment
- Coping with stress, anxiety and fear
- Understanding and coping with the patient's experience and feelings
- Improving communication and understanding among family members
- Resolving emotional conflicts
- Supporting adjustment to separation and loss
- Setting and carrying through personal goals
- Reconciliation; saying goodbye
Problem-Solving
- Identifying and obtaining needed community resources
- Responding to problems with insurance, finances and legal issues
- Addressing differences between family members
- Resolving communication problems
- Planning for the time of death
Spiritual Support back
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Hospice By The Bay offers spiritual services to meet the needs of patients and their families based on their own faith traditions. An interfaith chaplain is available to provide spiritual support, pastoral counseling, scripture reading and the offering of sacraments such as prayer and communion when appropriate. The hospice chaplain also acts as a liaison between patients and families and local spiritual organizations, congregations, clergy and other spiritual leaders as desired. In addition, the chaplain can assist families with the planning of funeral and memorial services and may be available to officiate.
Trained Volunteers back
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Carefully chosen and trained volunteers provide a variety of support services to patients and families. Volunteer services are designed to supplement the professional services offered by the Hospice By The Bay staff. Volunteers are available by request for varied lengths of time depending on the type of service. Some examples of volunteer support include:
- Providing relief for the primary caregiver
- Helping with errands such as grocery shopping, delivering supplies, etc.
- Helping with meal preparation
- Providing transportation to appointments or patient outings
- Companionship by visiting patients at home, in a nursing facility or in the hospital
- Reading to patients
- Helping patients write letters
Although volunteers cannot provide physical care for patients, they can do many things that add to the comfort and the quality of life for patients and families. Volunteers welcome the chance to help in whatever way they are needed.
Complementary Care Volunteers
These volunteer services are provided by certified or licensed professional volunteers to "complement" and enhance conventional medicine and promote relaxation, well-being and coping with the stressors of a terminal illness. Examples of complementary care services available to patients are:
- Body-based modalities such as gentle massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu and Acupressure
- Energy-based modalities such as Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Healing Touch
- Mind-body modalities such as Guided and Integrative Imagery, Progressive Relaxation and Music Activity
- Animal-Assisted Activity
Vigil Volunteers
A vigil volunteer provides a compassionate presence with patients and family members during the active stage of dying in hospice care. The purpose of a vigil volunteer is to honor each person's unique death process and to support his/her transition by:
- Offering emotional support with talking, listening or silence
- Sitting present with the dying individual and/or their family
- Creating sacred space with inspirational text or prayer, music or supportive rituals
Bereavement Volunteers
A bereavement volunteer is specifically trained to support a surviving family member following the patient's death with companionship through personal visits and phone calls and can provide the following services:
- Assist with practical matters related to the bereavement period
- Provide transportation to bereavement groups and/or individual counseling provided by Hospice By The Bay or other community activities associated with bereavement
- Provide education and materials about community resources
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