HOSPICE CARE DEFINITIONS
HOSPICE CARE DEFINITIONS HOSPICE Hospices provide individuals facing terminal illness with care at home or in a healthcare facility. The goal is to assist patients to live the last stage of their lives with dignity. The focus is on comfort rather than treatment. SERVICES PROVIDED: N-NURSE – Assesses patient’s physical needs, develops and coordinates the plan of care, ensures symptom control and management, provides patient/family teaching as needed SW-SOCIAL WORKER – Assesses patient and family emotional and social needs, develops a plan of care, provides counseling, referrals and support to meet identified needs CHAPLAIN – Assesses patient and family spiritual needs, develops a plan of care, provides counseling, assists with memorial preparations. HOME HEALTH AIDE – Provides direct personal care to patient, emotional support to patient and family, reports identified needs to RN. VOLUNTEER – Provides respite 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 maintaining the individual’s symptom management. Care is provided at the individual’s private residence, a retirement community, an assisted living, or a skilled nursing 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 long-term care facility depending on the condition of the individual. Hospice is responsible for financial arrangements with the Long-term care 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 level of care is usually due to symptoms which are out of control and more intensive nursing services are required. If an individual is at a care facility, room and board are covered by hospice during this period. CC-CONTINUOUS CARE – Provided to prevent the individual Continued on next page
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