Life in the final stages of a terminal illness presents many challenges for both the patient and family. To help you through this difficult, yet precious time, WilMed Home Care provides the services of WilMed Hospice. WilMed Hospice offers a special kind of care designed to improve the quality of the patient’s last months of life by offering comfort and dignity. WilMed Hospice Services WilMed Hospice provides a medically directed program of   palliative care for persons whose illnesses no longer respond to aggressive curative therapies. The typical hospice patient has a life expectancy of six months or less. The focus of care is on controlling pain and managing symptoms, while providing support for the patient and family in dealing with the emotional, social and spiritual effects of terminal illness. A team of professionals, including the patient’s physician, nurse, social worker, certified nursing assistant, spiritual caregiver and trained volunteer, provide care. Hospice brings this caring team right to the person’s home in an effort to surround the patient with the people they love most in the environment they find most comfortable and comforting.

Plan of Care

Before we can provide hospice care, the patient’s personal physician, the hospice physician and staff confer on the patient’s disease history, current physical condition and life expectancy. Hospice staff members then meet with the patient and family to discuss the hospice philosophy of care, services, pain and comfort measures, expectations, Advance Directives, support systems, financial and insurance resources, medications and equipment needs. Staff then uses the information to develop a patient-specific Plan of Care.The Plan of Care also outlines what the patient and family can expect and how they will participate in the care of the patient. The plan is regularly reviewed and revised as the patient’s condition changes.

Referrals

Anyone may make referrals to WilMed Hospice. On receiving a referral, a WilMed Hospice staff member will contact the patient’s physician to confirm the diagnosis and appropriateness of hospice care.

The Role of the Caregiver

Caregivers are generally asked to provide a safe, comfortable environment for the patient. Caregivers perform tasks related to feeding, bathing and giving medications. Assistance from the hospice team is available as the patient’s needs change. Caregivers are also advised to alert the hospice staff of any changes in the patient’s condition.

Skilled Nursing Care

WilMed Hospice nurses have expertise in pain control and the management of symptoms that may accompany a lifelimiting illness. The hospice nurse will make regular visits to perform skilled nursing procedures, assess physical symptoms and problems, such as pain, and instruct the primary caregiver regarding patient care, simple procedures, medication and nutrition. The hospice nurse also provides ongoing communication and consultation with the patient’s physician regarding his or her condition and plan of care.

Emergency nursing services are available to hospice patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Social Work Care

WilMed Hospice social workers possess skill and experience in providing emotional support and counseling for both the patient and the family during this difficult time. The social worker will assess patient/ family strengths, areas of need, and explore available community resources for help. Social workers will continue to provide bereavement counseling and support for the patient’s family after the death of a patient, helping them adjust to the loss and return to activities of daily living.

Certified Nursing Assistants

WilMed Hospice nursing assistants are trained and skilled in assisting patients with personal care. The Hospice nursing assistant works closely with the entire hospice team. Nursing assistants often observe changes in patients condition and report new needs to the other team members. They are a great support person for the patient and caregiver.

Volunteer Support

WilMed Hospice volunteers are carefully selected, trained and available at the request of the patient or family. The hospice volunteer often becomes a special friend and helper throughout the patient’s illness and family’s bereavement, by providing comfort and companionship.

Spiritual Support

WilMed Hospice provides specially trained chaplains for spiritual support of the patient and/or family, if desired.

WilMed Hospice accepts patients and families for care without regard to age, race, sex, diagnosis, religious preference, nationality, handicapping conditions or economic status. WilMed Hospice is a not-for-profit agency that provides services based upon need, rather than ability to pay. WilMed Hospice is Medicare/ Medicaid certified, licensed by the state of North Carolina and a provider member of Hospice for the Carolinas and the National Hospice Organization. WilMed Hospice serves the residents of Wayne, Wilson, Johnston, Nash, Edgecombe, Greene and Pitt counties.