Hospice Aides are provided to help with practical needs like eating, bathing and making sure patients can rest or move around safely.
Some of the services they provide include:
Bathing and showering assistance
Dressing or assisting with dressing
Skin care / lotion
Nail Care
Oral care / Teeth brushing / Denture care
Hair combing and brushing
Shaving
Activities
Transfers, turning and positioning
Placing assisitve devices within reach
Bed or rails adjustment
Light house keeping:
The bereavement coordinator meets with the caregiver in the beginning of the services to determine the level of care the family is likely to need following the death of a loved one. The coordinator is often the hospice chaplain or social worker whose main work in bereavement begins after the loss of a patient. As needs often change over time, the coordinator meets with the family to determine their needs shortly after the loss. Bereavement services are offered to the family for fourteen (14) months following the loss of a loved one.
Visits and literature to comfort and support the family are planned around the needs of the family with more intensive support often provided in the first weeks after loss.Grief is a natural reaction to loss, and one that each of us experiences differently. The Hand In Hand Hospice Bereavement Coordinator is there to listen and help. We offer bereavement care, sometimes called grief care, in ways that fir each person’s values, beliefs and culture. Our bereavement team can help families and caregivers understand and work through their feelings by:Providing general information about grief and loss.
Answering questions and helping you find your own answers Listening to your stories with all the mixed emotions you may be feeling Being a caring and reassuring presence We provide bereavement counseling to the individual through visits, phone calls, and regular mailings of self-help materials and a support group. We can help you and your family at any stage in your grief, and can provide referrals to other professionals as needed.
The hospice social worker addresses any and everything needed by a patient or a family that is non-medical, from grief counseling to repairing a screen door ( or finding the resources for both). Upon admission of a patient to hospice care, the social worker begins an assessment of needs and resources in the family to compliment and accompany the work of the nurses and physicians in a holistic approach to end-of-life care. The mission of the social worker is as wide as the range of needs in any particular family. In an internet article on death and dying, Angela Morrow, RN, describes the role of the social worker in a hospice setting.
To paraphrase, the hospice social worker does not impose any particular agenda, but provides support to facilitate the patient’s wishes. The social worker begins the work with an evaluation of needs and continues with the task by educating families about what to expect and how to accept their unique emotional responses to their situation. Reactions of fear, anxiety and grief can be overwhelming. The social worker can help the patient or family member deal constructively with their feelings. The social worker advocates for the patient to have their final wishes respected.
Throughout the course of hospice care, the social worker participates in what can be called a sacred journey with the patients and their families. They often discuss difficult topics with the patients that no one else wants to discuss. A social worker’s most important gift to the patient may be simply to provide bedside comfort during the dying process - not to guide the journey but to join the patient as they travel their final path. Kate Jackson authored and article entitled Transitions to Hospice Care — Social Workers Foster Meaningful Conversations About Dying which deals with some of the issues of waiting too late to choose hospice care and discusses the social worker's role in that discussion. In addition to the emotional and spiritual needs, here are some other areas a social worker might address along with some helpful contact information.
Practical Needs for the Family
Referrals to meals on wheels:
Navarro County - (903)641-0166
Limestone County - (254)739-3541
Freestone County - (903)839-5800
The Hospice Chaplain is involved in patient care from the beginning and provides support to patients, caregivers, and families. They provide non denominational spiritual support based on the patients beliefs, needs and culture. The Hospice chaplain will get to know the patients and their families through home visits, but will tailor the level of support to the needs and expectations of the patient.
Our Chaplain also will perform memorial services for any denomination.
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