Hospice offers coordinated services to persons with advanced AIDS
who want to retain control of their care and who have a variety of needs relating to
comfort and control of symptoms. The goal of hospice is to improve the quality of life by
including you in your medical treatment decisions, managing your
pain and other physical symptoms, and providing a range of services to support your needs
and the needs of the significant people in your life.
Comprehensive care is provided by a team of professionals which may
consist of a doctor, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors and other therapists.
Primary roles of each professional in your care are listed below:
The hospice doctor works
closely with your primary doctor and all members of the hospice team.
Skilled register nurses visit you at home. Communication between team members provides
for consistent coordination and monitoring of all services and enables any treatment
changes. Nurses work closely with your doctor.
Social workers are
available for counseling, support and coordination with other community services. The
social workers may assist with obtaining legal services, child custody planning and
medical directives.
Pastoral care counselors are
available to address your spiritual needs and those of the significant people in your
life.
Available services may include:
Management of pain and other physical symptoms.
Assistance with personal care and activities of daily living provided
by home health aides or home attendants.
Support for your significant others such as guidance in caregiving
techniques as well as bereavement counseling.
Short-term inpatient care for symptom control, if necessary.
Direct telephone access to hospice staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Trained volunteers to provide help and companionship for you or to
give your primary care partner respite.
Coordination of medications, therapies, supplies and equipment in the home.
Therapies such as massage, art or music therapy and nutritional or
dietary counseling.
