Hospice care isn’t about death – it’s about making the end of life easier and enjoying every remaining moment. With hospice, terminally ill Cleveland patients can spend the time they have left at home, where they feel most comfortable, while receiving the best possible level of care.
A team approach is central to hospice care, and depending on the services required, a number of professionals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds may be involved. One important member of the team is the hospice nurse, who has a complex and challenging job. As the lead caregiver, it’s their responsibility to ensure that the needs of the patient and their family are being met. That being the case, nurses who work in the hospice care setting have to wear more than one hat.
Hospice nurses support terminally ill individuals and their loved ones in many ways, and their duties can vary greatly from one day to the next. If someone you hold dear is entering hospice care in Cleveland, learning more about the role of a hospice nurse may be helpful.
Care Planning
When a terminally ill individual is ready for hospice care in Cleveland, one of the very first steps is to assess their situation and create a personalized plan of care. This requires consideration of both the patient and the family, and hospice nurses are tasked with formulating a plan that addresses everyone’s unique needs.
Pain Management
Each hospice care plan is customized, but in most cases, the management of pain is an essential component. Nurses work closely with a patient’s primary care physician and the hospice medical director to determine which medications, interventions and complementary therapies can help keep the pain at bay.
Symptom Control
Cleveland patients in hospice care frequently experience distressing symptoms associated with their illness, such as nausea, constipation, and breathlessness. As hospice nurses have training and skill in symptom control, keeping terminally ill individuals as comfortable as possible is well within their wheelhouse.
Caregiver Training
Most people who enter hospice care in Cleveland receive services in the comfort of their own homes — but around-the-clock nursing support, or continuous home care, is only offered when medically necessary. Nurses teach family caregivers how to safely administer medication and handle other day-to-day patient concerns.
Crisis Care Solutions
Depending upon a patient’s condition, a hospice nurse may visit their home as often as a few times per week or less frequently, perhaps twice a month. However, if the individual falls, develops a fever or another issue arises on a day when the nurse isn’t scheduled to stop by, anyone can call to request a visit.
Patient Assessment
Whenever a hospice nurse visits a terminally ill individual, a thorough assessment of their condition is to be expected. After performing a physical examination, talking to the patient about how they’re feeling and discussing matters with the family, the nurse will determine if any changes should be made to the plan of care.
Patient Advocacy
While nurses provide support to hospice care patients and to their families, satisfying the needs and wishes of the terminally ill individual is of the utmost importance. As such, hospice nurses advocate for their patients, acting as a mediator between the individual, their loved ones and the other members of the care team.
Mental Health Support
When all their other tasks have been completed, hospice nurses often sit with their patients, chatting and sharing stories about growing up or simply holding their hand and doing nothing at all. The end of life can be difficult for anyone to face, and nurses do what they can to ease the transition and provide mental comfort.
Spiritual Connections
Many people who are terminally ill need spiritual support to cope with the final phase of life. The same is true of their loved ones, who are grieving and having difficulty coming to terms with the situation. In the hospice care setting, nurses coordinate with chaplains, priests, ministers and bereavement counselors to provide this sort of help.
The Hospice Care Team
We’ve gone into detail about the role of a hospice nurse, but as we mentioned, care requires a team approach. The other members of the team are just as crucial to providing a positive and meaningful end-of-life experience.
As a general rule, in addition to nurses, spiritual advisors and bereavement professionals, the specially trained professionals that make up a hospice care team may include the patient’s doctor, the hospice physician, social workers, speech, physical and occupational therapists, home health aides, and committed volunteers. The group comes together, offering expert assistance, guidance and support and making every effort to ensure that terminally ill individuals and their loved ones are able to enjoy the time they have left together.
At Suncrest Hospice, we’re dedicated to providing the best possible care to patients who are nearing their final days. Our services are guided by each individual’s needs, preferences and goals, and our team of compassionate professionals supports families throughout the end-of-life journey.
Anyone can contact Suncrest to discuss hospice care in Cleveland, Ohio – if you have a loved one in need, give us a call to arrange for a consultation today.
