By now, you’ve heard us say “hospice is help for the patient and family” and “hospice treats the 5 types of pain.” But have you thought to yourself, “what does that even mean?”
Read below and we will tell you more about it!
A hospice referral begins when a patient, family/friend, physician, case manager, nurse, whomever calls St. Anthony’s Hospice, right? Actually, the very beginning of a hospice referral is when a patient is diagnosed with a serious illness with a life expectancy of 6 months or less should the disease run its normal course. When you are diagnosed or you have gone through treatment and are told “there’s nothing more that can be done,” always remember with hospice care, there is always more that can be done! The official referral process begins with a call to (270) 826-2326 and an appointment will be set for one of our Admissions Nurses to come talk to the patient and family/caregiver to determine your goals of care and if hospice care is appropriate for you. If hospice care aligns with your goals and the patient is eligible, a few documents will be signed and you are now a patient of St. Anthony’s Hospice!
Once you are a patient, you have an interdisciplinary team that surrounds you and helps you develop a care plan and treat the 5 types of pain. Now here is where your questions can be answered.
Who makes up a hospice patient’s interdisciplinary team?
Your primary care physician and/or our St. Anthony’s Hospice medical director(s)
Hospice nurse
Hospice care aide/CNA
Social Worker
Our St. Anthony’s Hospice Nurse Practitioner
Hospice chaplain
Volunteers
Your normal caregiver
What are the 5 types of pain and how does St. Anthony’s treat them?
Physical: Physical pain is what you think of when you think of pain. This pain is managed by medication designed to control your pain and symptoms associated with your serious illness. Our nurses are expert in physical pain and symptom management; they work closely with your primary care physician, our medical director(s), and our nurse practitioner to ensure your physical pain and symptoms are properly controlled. Your nurse will visit at least once per week, but you have access to a nurse 24 hours per day, 7 days per week!
Spiritual: Our hospice Chaplains are available to give you spiritual support during this difficult time in your life. This does not mean they are there to force religion on you or “Bible beat” you. Rather, they are there to help patients have meaningful discussions about hope, forgiveness, and peace. Our chaplains also host bereavement support groups, open to anyone in the community, to help with grief once a loved one has passed.
Social: Many times a hospice patient is in need of interaction with a person other than his/her caregiver. Not only will the patient receive a volunteer to help the caregiver with short-term things like sitting with the patient while the caregiver runs some errands or takes some “me time” to unwind, the volunteer is there to do activities with the patient and to tend to some needs like making a snack! In addition to this volunteer, the patient will also have visits from his/her nurse, social worker, chaplain, and hospice care aide/CNA. These visits offer relief to the caregiver and companionship for the patient.
Financial: Healthcare costs can be scary. Fortunately, hospice care is a benefit under Medicare, Medicaid, and some private insurances! Yup, you read that right! In the hospice benefit, you receive an interdisciplinary team to help with your disease-related needs, durable medical equipment, medical supplies, and medication related to managing symptoms of the hospice diagnosis. And if the patient does not have health insurance? St. Anthony’s does not turn away a patient due to inability to pay!
Psychological: Every patient has a social worker to provide much-needed psychological pain. While social workers typically get a bad reputation, our social workers are there to assist patients and families with confusing insurance forms or other legal documents such as Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, etc. They also can assist with funeral plans and grief counseling, if needed.
So now you know how hospice care can help you or a loved one! If you have any additional questions or would like to refer a loved one to St. Anthony’s Hospice, please call us at (270) 826-2326 or fill out our referral form.
