What is a hospice team?

A hospice team is a team of trained medical professionals and volunteers that together can provide medical, emotional and physical support to an individual that has limited life expectancy and their family. The team typically consists of a physician, nurse, possibly a home health aide and other volunteers that are trained to be there for the family and patient and to assist with quality of life rather than quantity of remaining days.

The medical volunteers of your hospice team will make scheduled visits to provide any sort of pain management and additional medical support. The patient's physician is continually informed of the patient's condition and the nursing care and home health aides can assist with any additional personal care that the patient will require.

Social workers are an important part of the hospice team and can often times assist the family with the emotional expectations of losing a loved one at home. They can explain the grieving process and also assist with the emotional needs of the family and the emotional needs of the patient. Social workers often act as a liaison of sorts with the medical support to assure that both the needs of the patient and the needs of the family are being fulfilled.

Religious assistance is also available through hospice care and for families with a strong need for spiritual relief, chaplains can be of vital importance. Religious assistance in the form of a family priest, chaplain or minister can also be important when it comes to making funeral or memorial arrangements.