What Is Hospice?

Hospice care focuses on an individual’s comfort and quality of life when curative treatment is no longer beneficial. Hospice care assists the loved one and their family in living their best life possible by managing symptoms. Caris Healthcare offers services that go beyond just medical care to support the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of a patient and their family.
 
Since each individual is different, each plan of care is different and tailored to the person’s specific needs and desires. Caris provides each individual with a dedicated caregiving team including a nurse, certified nursing aide, social worker, and chaplain, all supervised by a physician and with help from additional team members, including volunteers. This expert care team is available day or night, around the clock, to support their needs and those of their loved ones.

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Chaplain

A chaplain’s role on the hospice team is to provide spiritual and emotional support to both the patient and their family during end-of-life. Our chaplains will continue to support the family through bereavement check ins for 13 months after a loved one passes.

Registered Nurse

Our registered nurses provide care to the patient and medical education to the patients’ families which may include implementing care plans, making recommendations for medication changes and administering medications, and coordinating care with facilities and family members.

Social Worker

Caris social workers provide logistical and emotional support to patients and families. This may include anything from helping them access resources and applying for benefits to organizing grief support groups and assisting with funeral planning.

Physician

Oftentimes it is a patient’s primary physician who first recommends hospice care. A patient’s physician understands their unique medical history best and can be a key member of the hospice team.

Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteer Coordinators recruit and train volunteers to provide a myriad of different types of support for our patients. From administrative support volunteers helping us keep files in order to special project volunteers organizing crafts for our patients, Volunteer Coordinators keep all of these volunteers informed and ensure they have meaningful experiences.

Hospice Aide

Hospice Aides provide hands-on care, assisting with activities of daily living like bathing and dressing as well as monitoring symptoms and coordinating care with the rest of the team.

Medical Director

Medical Directors provide clinical oversight for the team, manage care plans, and ensure symptoms are controlled.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Where is hospice care provided?

Caris serves patients wherever they live. Our skilled nurses provide care in homes, assisted living communities, and skilled nursing centers or hospitals.

Who provides hospice care?

A full team of health care professionals are on call to serve each hospice patient’s needs. All services are under the direction of a physician.

Medical directors lead hospice teams in providing services for our patients.

Skilled nursing professionals and nursing professionals are expert pain and symptom management specialists who ensure that patients are comfortable and have the needed services and supportive care.

Certified nursing aides provide personal care and assist in daily living activities.

Chaplains provide spiritual support for patients and their families.

Social workers offer emotional support and assist patients and families with community and financial resources.

Bereavement counselors work with families both during and after care for patients.

Pharmacists provide guidance in providing the best support for patients through available medications.

Volunteers assist patients and families with any other special needs.

When is hospice is appropriate?

If you or a loved one are suffering from a life-limiting illness or approaching the final stages of life, hospice care is an option. Caris seeks to enhance the quality of life regardless of the amount of time that remains. Discuss hospice care with family members in order to make an educated decision when you or someone you love needs hospice care.

Who pays for hospice care?

Medicare covers cost of hospice care for terminally ill individuals who choose to stop seeking curative treatments. Most private individual plans also cover hospice care. Coverage varies by plan.//

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