What is Hospice Care?

Hospice is a special kind of care designed for someone with a life-limiting terminal illness. The focus of hospice care is to provide pain and symptom management, emotional and spiritual support so that each patient can maintain their dignity and spend their days in comfort. Hospice provides sensitive support for the patient's family as well. An important part of hospice is that patients and families decide what care is right for them.

The goal of Circle of Life is to maximize support so patients can live as fully as possible, for whatever time remains. When diligent attention is given to symptoms, even the small aggravating ones, a patient can expect to feel good enough to enjoy some part of every day. The primary services provided by hospice are: 

• Treatment related to the life-limiting illness that is included in the hospice plan of care, plus medical equipment and supplies, services, and coordination of care
• Medications to control the pain and other symptoms of the life-limiting illness
• Hospice inpatient care (both acute care and respite care) in a hospice facility or hospital
• Home visits by hospice staff, plus skilled in-home nursing for crisis management
• Consulting physicians
• Home health aid
• Volunteer support
• Bereavement follow-up

The Hospice Team

Each person and his or her family are provided services by a group of professionals called the hospice team. This team consists of:

Physicians & APN’s - The patient's primary physician, the hospice medical director and APN’s work together to plan the patient's medical care. They are always in close touch with the other members of the hospice team.

Nurses - Hospice nurses specialize in palliative care, which is a special kind of care that keeps pain to a minimum and focuses on comfort. The hospice nurse makes regular visits to monitor the patient's condition and provides the patient and family with information and education about the illness. Hospice nurses are available for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Social Workers - The hospice social worker helps the family deal with financial, insurance and legal issues, and helps them cope with the personal and social challenges of illness, disability and the dying process. Following the patient's death, family counselors work with family members, providing support so that they can move forward with their lives. Bereavement support is provided through one-on-one counseling and also through organized support groups. Often, these are open to other members of the community who may also be grieving, whether or not the grief involved a hospice-supported death.

Chaplains - Hospice chaplains are also available to help with the spiritual and religious needs of patients and families as they cope with the illness and end of life concerns. Hospice chaplains can help with memorial services and funerals, at the family's request.

Home Health Aid - Home health aides are skilled in helping the patient and caregiver manage the personal care of the patient, including personal grooming, some light housekeeping and cleanup of the patient area and many other duties as needs arise. Aides provide a break in the normal routine of personal care for the caregiver, and they offer both physical and emotional support.

Volunteers - Hospice volunteers are members of the community who have special interest and training in helping people in the final phase of life. Volunteers can provide companionship for the patient and relief for the caregiver.

Hospice is a choice, not a requirement. The patient may choose to withdraw from the hospice plan of care at any time to seek other medical treatments that may become available.

Circle of Life serves any person and family in Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties who:

We provide care to those who meet admission criteria regardless of their ability to pay. Funding for our program is provided by Medicare, Medicaid, insurance plans, memorials, grants and donations. If you would like to contribute, please visit our donations page.

© 2007 NWA Circle of Life