Hospice Services
Our Services
Facing the end of life or caring for a loved one with a terminal illness can be very stressful and sometimes overwhelming. Each of our hospice professionals and volunteers has a deeply caring heart and a listening ear.
Hospice may be appropriate if you or your loved one has an illness that – if it runs its normal course – could take life in six months. People may be on hospice for weeks, months, sometimes years, because the course of many illnesses is impossible to predict. Hospice of Humboldt provides compassionate medical care, eases communication, and offers support to families.
Patient-Centered Care
We focus on the patient’s goals and wishes at all times. Whether they choose to die in restful solitude or surrounded by loved ones, at home, at our Hospice House, or in a hospital,
Hospice care is always patient-centered.
Patient Care Team
This care is provided by a team of professionals. This team includes a medical provider, nurse, home health aide, social worker, chaplain, patient care volunteer, and grief counselor.
Medical Providers
Our doctors and nurse practitioners supervise all medical services, coordinating care with the patient's own physician and hospice care team.
Nurses
Hospice registered nurses care for the patient at home to help with the patient's uncomfortable symptoms. They teach the patient's caregivers what to expect as the disease progresses. Registered nurses are available 24 hours a day in the event of an emergency.
Home Health Aides
Home health aides visit their patients once or twice per week, providing needed personal care such as bathing and grooming. They also help with light housekeeping and other measures that provide comfort.
Medical Social Workers
Medical social workers provide emotional support and counseling to the patients and family and help them cope with all of the social, financial, and practical issues that may arise. They can also make referrals to other social service agencies if necessary.
Chaplains
Chaplains provide non-denominational spiritual support and counseling and help the patient and family come to terms with the situation. Our chaplains can provide or arrange for specific religious rites or services, if requested. They can also conduct funerals and memorial services.