The Relief of Hospice: Whole Person and Whole Family Support

Author

Gateway Hospice

Posted on

Jul 17, 2020

Book/Edition

Pennsylvania - Greater Pittsburgh Area

When a person is diagnosed with a serious illness, the whole family feels the impact. Roles change. Everyday life is altered as tasks shift toward caregiving and navigating the course of illness. Family caregivers often report uncertainty, fear and fatigue. Some describe feeling at sea in their experience.

Understanding this, hospice views a patient and family as a unit of care, providing support throughout the caregiving journey. Hospice starts with a plan co-created by the patient, family caregiver(s) and hospice team, made up of a physician, registered nurse (RN), certified nurses aide (CNA), social worker and chaplain.
The top priority for the physician and RN is helping patients feel as comfortable as possible, as quickly as possible, through skilled symptom management. Hospice CNAs visit on a regular basis, providing a special kind of hands-on care. Social workers help families understand and access resources and provide support through listening, counseling and compassionate guidance.
Chaplains can facilitate communication between the family and their faith community, provide resources and help families with spiritual concerns. In addition, specially trained hospice volunteers lend friendship and support to the entire family, including respite care that may allow a caregiver to have time free from the day-to-day responsibilities.
People living their last season of life deserve the encompassing support of hospice. So do families. If the time is right for hospice care, dont hesitate. You can talk with your doctor, or get in touch with a hospice provider. The initial step of choosing hospice can feel difficult, but what we hear so often from caregivers is, We wish wed found you sooner.
Editors Note: This article was submitted by Shelly Marusko, Executive Director for Gateway Hospice. She can be reached at 412-536-2020 or at smarusko@gatewayhospice.com.

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