HOSPICE CARE DEFINITIONS
HOSPICE CARE DEFINITIONS
Hospice Care Definitions **SERVICES: RN / SSW / C=Chaplain / V=Volunteers ***LEVELS OF CARE: RO=Routine / RE=Respite / GIP=General In-Patient Care / CC=Continuous Care ****Therapies: A=Aroma / MA=Massage Therapy / MU=Music Therapy / P=Pet Therapy HOSPICE Hospices provide individuals facing a terminal illness with care in a private residence or in a healthcare facility. The goal is to provide quality of life and to assist patients to live the last stages of their lives with dignity. The focus is on comfort rather than curative treatment of the terminal illness. SERVICES PROVIDED: RN-REGISTERED NURSE – Assesses patient’s physical needs, develops and coordinates the plan of care, ensures symptom control and management, provides patient/family education as needed SW-SOCIAL WORKER – Assesses patient and family emotional and social needs, develops a plan of care, and provides counseling and support to meet identified needs, and makes referrals to other providers based on family and patient’s needs CHAPLAIN – Assesses patient and family spiritual needs, develops a plan of care, provides counseling, assists with memorial preparations. VOLUNTEERS – Provides compan-
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ionship and needed non-medical services for patients and their families, offers support at time of death and during bereavement. LEVELS OF CARE: RO-ROUTINE CARE – Occurs when regularly scheduled visits are adequate in managing the individual’s disease symptoms. Care is provided at the individual’s private residence or in a healthcare facility. RE-RESPITE CARE – Provided when the family needs time to rest or go out of town for a short time. Care may be provided in a skilled nursing facility. Hospice is responsible for financial arrangements with the facility. GIP – GENERAL IN-PATIENT CARE – Provided in a skilled nursing facility when the symptoms cannot be managed elsewhere. The skilled nursing facility must have 24-hour R.N. coverage as deemed by Medicare guidelines. General in-patient care is usually short in duration. This higher level of care is due to symptoms which are out of control and more intensive nursing services are required. The room and board are covered by hospice during this period. CC-CONTINUOUS CARE – Provided to prevent the individual from going to the hospital when a crisis occurs. It also is given when more help is needed to assist the individual and family in coping with the crisis. This level of care is usually provided to the
GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA - SPRING 2022 - SUMMER 2022
